BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb erased a five-run deficit with a dramatic five-run ninth inning to stun App State, 11-10, on Saturday afternoon at John Henry Moss Stadium.

Trailing 10-6 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Runnin' Bulldogs (8-3) refused to go quietly. With one out and traffic on the bases, Gardner-Webb strung together timely at-bats to flip the script. After cutting the deficit to two, Drew Ripepi delivered the biggest swing of the day — a clutch two-run single that brought home the tying and winning runs and sent the home crowd into celebration.

The comeback capped a resilient afternoon for GWU, which collected 12 hits and drew seven walks. Zack Thompson led the charge offensively, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a double, while Matt Ilgenfritz blasted his fourth home run of the season and drove in two. Ryan Kennell added three RBIs, and Anthony Hausner recorded a pair of hits, including a double, to spark multiple rallies.

After App State (7-3) built an early 8-3 lead through four innings, the Runnin' Bulldogs chipped away. A three-run fourth got GWU on the board, highlighted by productive situational hitting and aggressive baserunning. The fifth inning brought two more runs, compliments of Ilgenfritz's big fly, to make it a one-score game, and the Dawgs continued to pressure App State's bullpen late.

Out of the bullpen, Gardner-Webb found its footing. Connor Busson delivered two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and Brendan Lysik followed with a clean frame to keep the deficit manageable. Nick Blaszczak closed the door over the final 1.2 innings to earn his first win of the season, allowing just one hit and holding App State scoreless to set the stage for the ninth-inning heroics.

The third and final game of the series will take place on Sunday afternoon with a first pitch slated for 1 p.m.