BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Trailing early in the contest, Gardner-Webb (19-24, 7-10) used a late surge before falling short in a 9-7 contest against Winthrop (28-15, 11-3) on Saturday afternoon at John Henry Moss Stadium.
Winthrop jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning, plating five runs on four hits to take immediate control of the game. The Eagles added to the advantage in the third inning with two more runs, building a 7–1 lead through the opening three frames.
Gardner-Webb answered in the bottom of the first to get on the board after Kelvin Agosto doubled while bringing home Merik Carter, cutting the deficit to 5–1. Despite the early response, Winthrop's pitching limited the Runnin' Bulldogs' offense over the next several innings while adding a single run in the sixth to extend the margin to 8–1.
The Runnin' Bulldogs began their push in the sixth inning. Carter delivered a two-RBI single, scoring Zack Thompson and Daniel Smith, trimming the lead to 9–3 and generated momentum heading into the late innings.
That momentum carried into the seventh, when Gardner-Webb mounted its biggest rally of the afternoon. Drew Ripepi came through with a two-run double before Smith collected an RBI single and Carter capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly, pulling the Runnin' Bulldogs within two runs at 9–7.
Gardner-Webb continued to threaten down the stretch, finishing the game with 11 hits and putting consistent pressure on the Winthrop pitching staff. Carter led the offense with three RBIs and two hits.Â
The third and final game of the series will take place on Sunday, April 26 with a first pitch slated for 1 p.m.Â
