BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb softball team returns to action on Friday and Saturday, March 13th and 14th to host Charleston Southern for its first Big South series of the season

GAME INFORMATION
Charleston Southern (5-21, L3) at Gardner-Webb (20-8, W4)
Game One: Friday, 4 pm
Game Two: Saturday, 12 pm
Game Three: Saturday, 2 pm

LAST TIME OUT: The Runnin' Bulldogs continued a mid-season hot streak at home on Tuesday, sweeping a doubleheader against Bucknell. Gardner-Webb has won 10 of its last 11 games dating back to the end of February and carries a four-game winning streak into this weekend, the longest active streak in the Big South

LAST SEASON: GWU and CSU faced off in the final Big South series last April, with CSU taking two of the three games. Gardner-Webb rallied for a 9-8 win in the series finale in North Charleston, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth and five runs in the top of the sixth for a come-from-behind road win

DIFFERENT STYLES: This weekend's series will contest perhaps the biggest opposites in the Big South Conference. Gardner-Webb comes in scoring just shy of 8.5 runs per game, a mark that's within the top-15 nationally, with a team-batting average of .367, while Charleston Southern is scoring 2.03 runs per game with a .203 team batting average.

RUNS, RUNS, RUNS: Gardner-Webb has showcased its hitting ability throughout the season with a Big South best 236 total runs and nearly 8.5 runs per game. The Runnin' Bulldogs have scored 10 or more runs in 13 games played and have scored less than five runs in a game only six times. The key has been the top and middle of the lineup, with senior Annicka McLaughlin hitting .420 out of the leadoff spot, while sophomore Reese Collier (.417) and senior Alli Stidham (.414) also in the .400 average or higher club

IN THE CIRCLE: The Runnin' Bulldogs have found their groove in the circle. After some early-season struggles, the Gardner-Webb staff has not allowed more than five runs in a game during the duration of the active 10 wins in 11 games run. This includes shutouts against West Georgia and Bucknell, both tossed by Stidham, and a 3.0 inning save by freshman right-hander Glenna McLamb against Bucknell in the second game on Tuesday. McLamb currently leads the staff with a 3.80 ERA in 59 innings pitched

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: After an excellent performance at the plate during the Runnin' Bulldogs series win at West Georgia and a doubleheader sweep at NC Central, Collier is the active Big South Player of The Week. Collier hit .471 over five games with four home runs, 13 RBI, eight runs scored, a .500 on-base percentage and 1.176 slugging clip. She homered in four of the five games played, tallied three multi-hit games and four multi-RBI performances

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Charleston Southern series will be the final chance for Runnin' Bulldogs fans to see the team at Brinkley Stadium in March, as Gardner-Webb follows with a nearly month-long road trip through April. This includes a three-game set at Winthrop on March 20th and 21st, a single game at Clemson on March 31st, another three-game set at USC Upstate on April 3rd and 4th, and a single game at App State on April 7th