BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb softball team (21-8, 1-0 Big South) opened Big South play in the win column on Friday afternoon, using six unanswered runs to overturn an early deficit against Charleston Southern (5-22, 0-1 Big South) and win its fifth straight game overall

It was the visiting Buccaneers doing the damage early, using a three-run top of the second en route to a big lead. Charleston Southern was aided by a Gardner-Webb throwing error to initially open the door, with back-to-back singles to follow and put CSU in front 3-0. A solo home run in the third put the visitors in front 4-0.

Facing a deficit is when freshman right-hander Glenna McLamb went to work, and it eventually allowed GWU to claw back in the game. After the rocky start both in the circle and on defense, McLamb allowed just three hits over the final four innings of the game, finishing 7.0 innings in total, scattering seven hits, allowing two earned runs, and striking out four

At the plate, a pinch hit single from sophomore Madden McMahan-Waters helped bring in two runs in the fourth, cutting the CSU lead to 4-2. The Runnin' Bulldogs used that momentum swing in the fifth and sixth to take the lead

In the fifth, senior first baseman Maggie Knight put an RBI single in play to make it 4-3, before senior catcher Taylor Dreher tied the game at 4-4 on a sac fly to center field

Then in the sixth, Knight was again at the center of the action. First it was another RBI single back through the box to put GWU in front 5-4, she then took second while sophomore second baseman Reese Collier scored an insurance run on a wild pitch. From down 4-0, Gardner-Webb was in front 6-4 and would hold on for the victory in the seventh

IN THE STATS
At the plate, Knight finished 3-3 for GWU with two RBI, a walk and a run, while Collier also swung a solid bat by going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk

UP NEXT
The series continues on Saturday, March 14th as Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern meet for a 12 pm and 2 pm doubleheader