Box Score HIGH POINT, N.C. – Gardner-Webb battled back to tie the game with two runs in the ninth and battled throughout, but fell 10-9 to Winthrop in a 15-inning marathon Friday at the 2023 Big South Conference Baseball Championship.

Winthrop's Nicholas Badillo laced a two-out single into right field in the bottom of the 15th and Charlie Evans slid under the tag for the game winner to barely beat a great throw from Curtis Robison.

The game tied the longest tournament affair in Gardner-Webb history, with GWU also playing a 15-inning game in the 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship against Lipscomb in DeLand, Fla.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (31-25) wasted little time going on top Friday morning when the game started, getting three singles to start the game from Jacob Marcos, Curtis Robison and Mark Black to take a 2-0 lead.

Winthrop (28-27) responded in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs to take the lead. It was the beginning of a wild early back-and-forth offensively.

Gardner-Webb had its big inning in the second, pushing five runs across to take a 7-4 lead.

The inning started calmly with a pair of fly ball outs, but a two-out single to center from Peter Capobianco ignited the burst. Ryan Kennell walked, then Jacob Marcos drove home Capobianco with a single to right to trim Winthrop's lead to 4-3.

Winthrop made a call to the bullpen, but it didn't slow things down, as Robison ripped a hit into right to tie the game. An error allowed Alec Burns to reach and two runs scored on the play to put Gardner-Webb in front 6-4. A double from Black scored Burns for a 7-4 lead.

Both pitchers settled in until the bottom of the fourth, when Winthrop came alive for five runs to take a 9-7 lead. The Eagles needed just two hits in the frame after two walks, and two hit batters. A two-run single from Will Martin was the big blow.

Gardner-Webb went down in order in the fifth and sixth, before Burns gave them life with a single in the top of the seventh. A strikeout and a fly ball ended that threat. A leadoff single from Humberto Torres in the top of the eighth brought the tying run to the plate, but Winthrop reliever Josh Bookbinder recovered to end the threat.

The Runnin' Bulldogs made their move in the top of the ninth. Marcos led off and was hit by a pitch, then Robison hammered a pitch deep to center for an RBI triple to cut the lead to 9-8 and put the tying run just 90 feet away.

Winthrop changed pitchers after that and, after a strikeout, Nate Anderson lifted a ball to center field for a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Eagles' reliever Zan Rose got out of the inning with the score tied after a pop up behind the plate.

Winthrop got a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, but that runner was picked off at first to empty the bases. Back-to-back singles put runners on the corners with one out – and Gardner-Webb intentionally walked the eighth batter in the order to load the bases.

Grant Vera came on in relief after that move and got a ground ball and force out at home to keep the game tied and fired a 95 mph fastball to get a pop up to right field to strand the bases loaded and force extra innings.

The Runnin' Bulldogs went down in order in the top of the 10th inning, and Winthrop followed suit. The Eagles got a two-out single in the 11th, but did not score.

Gardner-Webb's Mark Black led off the 12th with a base on balls and Anderson bunted him into scoring position. A call to the bullpen resulted in a walk to Trevor Mattson to get two on board, but a 6-4-3 double play allowed Winthrop to escape.

The Eagles copied Gardner-Webb's approach in the bottom half, turning a leadoff walk into a runner at second with a sacrifice bunt. A spectacular defensive play prevented that run, as Anderson dove for a looping liner in shallow left – and threw to double off the runner at second to end the inning.

A walk to Nick Capozzi with one out put Gardner-Webb in business in the 13th and he advanced all the way to third with two outs after stealing second and sprinting another 90 feet when that ball sailed into the outfield. Winthrop's Parker Kruglewicz recovered, throwing a sharp slider to end the threat with a strikeout.

A hit batter allowed another Winthrop leadoff batter to reach and a successful sacrifice bunt put McKinley Erves in scoring position. Gardner-Webb reliever Jacob McCaskey recovered with a strikeout and an infield pop up to get the 'Dogs back into the dugout.

Neither team mounted much of a threat in the 14th, as the fans in the stands were treated to a second rendition of Take Me Out To The Bullpen for the second stretch of the game.

Evans coaxed a two-out walk on seven pitches in the bottom of the 15th and Badillo delivered the game winner.

Jacob McCaskey (1-3) took the loss, but was a warrior on Friday in his collegiate finale. The Tarantum, Pa., senior worked 3.2 innings in relief and allowed just one run on one hit. He also had an at bat in the game.

The Runnin' Bulldogs used five pitchers in the game, with Phil Fox (2.1 IP) and Grant Vera (2.2 IP) each keeping Winthrop off the board late to allow Gardner-Webb the chance to pull even.

Robison was strong in his final game as a Runnin' Bulldog, going 4-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBI. Jacob Marcos also finished his career with three hits and three runs scored. Mark Black went 2-for-5 with three RBI, as Gardner-Webb collected 14 hits in the game.

Gardner-Webb's season is complete. Winthrop advances to play Friday night against the loser of the No. 1 Campbell vs. No. 2 USC Upstate game.