BUIES CREEK, NC – GWU bounced back in game two after falling to conference-leading Campbell in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
The Runnin' Bulldogs struck first in game one when catcher
Bridgette Strobl sent a solo-shot to left-center in the top of the second.
Campbell responded, scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead into the third.
Neither team scored in the third or fourth and the Camels added a run in the fifth to stretch their lead to three.
Gardner-Webb's best chance to rally came in the sixth inning.
Kasey Fava walked and
Annicka McLaughlin reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Campbell made a pitching change and got out of the inning without surrendering a run and took game one 4-1.
Freshman
Kalyn Kyle started in the circle for the Runnin' Bulldogs and struck out four batters through five innings before
Alli Stidham took over. Stidham struck out one and gave up no hits in two innings pitched.
Gardner-Webb started fast again in game two, scoring twice in the first inning.
Kasey Fava led off the game with a walk and
Annicka McLaughlin followed with a single to left field.
Emily Garcia came up and hit a single to score Fava and send McLaughlin to second.
Bridgette Strobl, who had an RBI in game one, did it again with a single to score McLaughlin and put the 'dogs up 2-0.
Campbell scored in the bottom of the first and made it 2-1.
After both teams scored in the first inning, game two took on a defensive shape as no runs were scored again until the seventh.
In the game's final inning, Campbell's shortstop committed an error that put McLaughlin on first. After
Andrea Lyon batted her over,
Adrienne Visintine doubled to left-center to score McLaughlin and make it 3-1.
In the bottom of the seventh Campbell threatened to rally, scoring a run to bring it within one. However, with one out and runners on first and second, McLaughlin came up big on defense. The freshman infielder scooped up a ground ball, tagged the runner from first, and turned a double play to end the game.
Visintine led the team with two hits in four at-bats with a double, a triple, and one RBI. Fava, McLaughlin, Lyon, Garcia, Strobl, and
Taylor Dreher all registered hits in the win. Garcia and Strobl were responsible for the other two RBIs.
Lyon pitched the complete game, striking out four Camels in seven innings, and earning the win.
GWU will look to take the series in game three Sunday, April 16, at 1:00 P.M. from Buies Creek.
