CLINTON, S.C. – Gardner-Webb bounced back in Game 2 of its doubleheader at Presbyterian Saturday after dropping Game 1 to the Blue Hose.
The Runnin' Bulldogs got on the board in the top of the first inning, scoring a run to go up 1-0.
Kasey Fava led off with a walk and stole second.
Annicka McLaughlin laid down a sacrifice bunt and moved her to third, and
Andrea Lyon hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Fava.
No runs were scored in the second and GWU added one in the third. McLaughlin walked and Lyon singled to right field. With runners on first and second,
Adrienne Visintine hit a single to right field and scored the speedy freshman from second to go up 2-0.
Presbyterian scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the third to tie the game.
Tied at 2, Fava hit a triple down the left field line in the top of the fifth to put a runner in scoring position with one out. McLaughlin laid down another sacrifice bunt and gave the 'dogs a one-run lead.
PC tied it in the sixth and scored the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh to take Game 1.
Kasey Fava hit a triple,
Abbey Goodrum hit a double, and three Runnin' Bulldogs hit singles:
Andrea Lyon,
Adrienne Visintine, and
Kiara Kennedy. Lyon, McLaughlin, and Visintine each had RBIs in the series opener.
Lyon started in the circle and struck out three batters through two innings.
Alli Stidham came in in the third and pitched the remainder of the game, striking out four batters.
In Game 2, GWU paired some good hitting with elite pitching to defeat Presbyterian 5-1.
The scoring got started in the second inning.
Alyssa Bonilla singled up the middle and
Abbey Goodrum reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Then, with two outs,
Kayleigh Nicholson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Senior
Alexa Key came up with a timely 2-RBI single to centerfield.
Kasey Fava followed with a single to second base and scored another run. Then, McLaughlin bunted and Key scored when PC's infield committed another error.
The defense took care of business, holding Presbyterian scoreless through five, when Gardner-Webb added a run in the sixth. Key bunted and sped around the bases to third thanks to another PC throwing error. Fava batted her in, giving the 'dogs a 5-0 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Hose hit a solo homerun to score their only run of the game as Gardner-Webb took Game 2 of the doubleheader.
Kasey Fava led the team with three hits and two RBIs.
Alyssa Bonilla and
Alexa Key both had multiple hits as well, while
Annicka McLaughlin,
Kiara Kennedy, and
Abbey Goodrum registered a hit each. Key was responsible for the other two RBIs.
Freshman
Kalyn Kyle dazzled, pitching a complete game while giving up just two hits and striking out 13 batters. Kyle and catcher
Bridgette Strobl combined to hold the Blue Hose to one run in Game Two.
The rubber match will be Sunday, April 30, at 3:00 P.M. from Clinton, South Carolina. The start time was pushed back from 1:00 P.M. due to expected weather conditions.
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