CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb University softball team was on the road for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon, losing a pair of close games at Western Carolina

GAME ONE - Western Carolina 4, Gardner-Webb 3

The Runnin' Bulldogs got off to a fast start in the early game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the second inning.

Junior designated player Alli Stidham provided the big swing early, sending her first home run of the season over the wall in left for the game's first run. Senior right fielder Jailyn Tineo tripled the lead not long after, scoring two on a double to right field.

Despite the Catamounts pegging Gardner-Webb back for two runs in the bottom of the second, GWU held its 3-2 lead until the seventh inning.

Western Carolina then scored two runs, the first on an RBI single and the winning run walking, as Gardner-Webb fell by a 4-3 final.

Sophomore right-hander Addie Stem would go the distance for the Runnin' Bulldogs, allowing four runs and nine hits, while also retiring 13 batters by way of a groundout.

Overall, Gardner-Webb finished the game with three runs on seven hits and committed a pair of errors.

GAME TWO - Western Carolina 8, Gardner-Webb 6

It took Gardner-Webb some time to get going in the late game, falling in a 5-0 hole by the end of the second. The Runnin' Bulldogs didn't stay down for a long however, exploding for a five-run fourth to get back in the game.

Stidham started the scoring with her second home run of the day, again to left field, to get GWU on the board, down 5-2. Junior first baseman Bella Ligotti followed with one of her own a few batters later, a two-run homer again to left field to make the score 5-4 and still with outs to work with. To complete the mid-game comeback, Tineo added a sac-fly to bring the score to 5-5.

The game once again turned in the bottom of the fifth though, where Western Carolina struck for two runs to take the lead back for good. Mixed with a previous hit and an error, the Catamounts pushed two runs across on a double to take an 8-5 lead.

Despite putting the leadoff runner on and scoring a late run with the help of an error, Gardner-Webb couldn't come all the way back in the seventh in an 8-6 loss to complete the doubleheader.

In a loss, the Runnin' Bulldogs put up five runs on 11 hits, while also committing three errors in the field.

UP NEXT
The 'Dawgs return to action on Friday March 21st, hosting Winthrop at 4 p.m. in the first of a three game Big South series.