NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Gardner-Webb University softball team scored a dramatic win in its series finale at Charleston Southern on Sunday afternoon, using five runs in the sixth inning to turn around a late deficit and win 9-8
The Runnin' Bulldogs got off to a poor start on Sunday afternoon, falling in a 7-1 hole by the end of the fourth inning. CSU used a sac fly, two singles, and an infield hit to build its early advantage. GWU did get on the board in the third inning, when sophomore right fielder
Trina Van Dyke scored junior left fielder
Maura Pendleton on an RBI single. As part of the 'Dawgs eventual comeback, Van Dyke would finish the game 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
The comeback began with who else but Van Dyke in the fifth inning. The Heritage High School product doubled to center, bringing another run across for Gardner-Webb. Junior designated player
Alli Stidham was next with an RBI sac fly to deep center before graduate third baseman
Araceli Pesqueira brought the fifth full circle, scoring Van Dyke on an RBI single to right. With just three swings of a bat, GWU was back in the game, down 7-4.
In the big sixth inning, Gardner-Webb took its first lead following two singles, a double, and a pair of runs walked across the plate. Freshman center fielder
Lauren Spainhower got the sixth inning scoring parade started with a single to left, With good base running, senior
Jailyn Tineo went first to third and eventually scored after an errant throw by the third baseman. Tineo started the inning off with a pinch hit single before scoring and cutting the CSU lead to 7-5.
Also off the bench and on the score sheet, junior
Alyssa Bonilla lined an RBI single to center, cutting the CSU lead further to 7-6 after Spainhower came in easily from second base. The Runnin' Bulldogs then tied the game at 7-7 when Stidham smoked a double to left for her first hit of the day, scoring Pendleton once again.
Sophomore catcher
Carmen McRae walked in the go ahead run, just ahead of Tineo who added an insurance, and eventual, game winning run on a second consecutive walk. Through six innings, Gardner-Webb had rallied from down 7-1 to a 9-7 lead.
A solo home run in the seventh was just a consolation for Charleston Southern, as freshman pitcher
Hannah Frye shut the door on her ninth win of the season. Frye finished the final 3.2 innings of the contest, allowing four hits and two runs.
In addition to Van Dyke's big game, Spainhower also went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, while seven other Runnin' Bulldogs grabbed at least one hit and eight in total reached base at least once in the game.
UP NEXT
The Runnin' Bulldogs visit Queens on Wednesday afternoon, April 30th for the 2025 regular season finale. First pitch in Charlotte is set for 5 p.m.
