BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb softball team split Friday action at the Spring in the Springs Tournament, nearly rallying to beat North Dakota State early before a run-rule win over Lafayette in the nightcap
Game One - North Dakota State 8, Gardner-Webb 5
In the early game of the day, the Runnin' Bulldogs fell behind big early before nearly rallying late in an 8-5 loss to North Dakota State
With three in the second inning and four in the fifth, North Dakota State took a commanding 7-1 lead. Through five, the only run for GWU came via a sac fly from senior designated player
Alli Stidham in the third
Things however got interesting in the sixth and seventh. Sophomore third baseman
Caitlin Colley started the Dawgs comeback attempt with a sixth-inning sac fly to left to bring the score to 7-2. North Dakota State did get that run back in the top of the seventh to lead 8-2 as Gardner-Webb was down to its final outs
Gardner-Webb did not go quietly. Stidham crushed a two-run home run to left center to start the scoring, bringing the Runnin' Bulldogs to within one swing, down 8-4. Sophomore
Madden McMahan-Waters promptly made the game 8-5 with an infield single that scored a run from third. Gardner-Webb managed to load the bases with two outs, but a great defensive play at short ended the contest, 8-5 in favor of the visitors
The Runnin' Bulldogs scored five runs on 11 hits and walked five times in the contest, while also leaving 13 runners on base
Game Two - Gardner-Webb 11, Lafayette 1
After nearly rallying from down six runs in the early game, Gardner-Webb left no doubt in the nightcap with an 11-1 win in five innings over Lafayette
The Runnin' Bulldogs scored early and often, bringing across three runs in the first then a season-high eight runs just in the third inning alone.
Sophomore second baseman
Reese Collier opened the scoring with an RBI single into the right center gap in the first. Stidham followed with an RBI ground-out before senior first baseman
Maggie Knight send a pitch back through the box, scoring Collier for a 3-0 Gardner-Webb lead
After Lafayette pegged a run back in the top of the third, the Runnin' Bulldogs answered in a huge way. First, it was senior right fielder
Jailyn Tineo with an RBI single up the middle, then redshirt freshman left fielder
Lily Barry walked in a run for a 5-1 lead.
Colley and Collier then went back to back with RBI singles, two scoring on the hit from Colley. By the time Stidham reached again, this time from a throwing error at second base, GWU had a commanding 9-1 lead
Gardner-Webb wasn't done in the third, with Knight back up at the plate, She'd find the left center field gap to plate two more runs, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs an 11-1 lead that held up as final
In the circle meanwhile, Stidham picked up the win behind 4.0 innings, allowing just one hit, one run, and striking out three. Senior left-hander
Kalyn Kyle finished off the game with a scoreless fifth inning
IN THE STATS
Colley, the active Big South Player of The Week, extended her on-base streak on Friday, now having reached in all 18 games. She also has an active 10-game hitting streak back to February 14th
UP NEXT
Spring in The Springs continues on Saturday with Gardner-Webb hosting New Haven at 3 pm and Lafayette at 5:30 pm
