BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb (16-17) baseball team erupted for 15 hits and a historic offensive performance from Merik Carter on Tuesday afternoon, outlasting Elon (13-19) for a 14–11 victory at John Henry Moss Stadium.
Gardner-Webb jumped out early, plating three runs in the opening inning to seize momentum. Carter set the tone immediately and never slowed down, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with four runs scored and five RBIs. The junior outfielder also launched his sixth home run of the season and added two stolen bases, powering the Runnin' Bulldogs' offense throughout the afternoon.
The Dawgs extended their lead with three more runs in the second inning. Ryan Kennell delivered a key two-run double while Kelvin Agosto continued the early surge with a multi-hit performance. Agosto finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Elon responded in the third with a four-run inning to close the gap, but Gardner-Webb answered emphatically in the bottom of the fourth. Drew Ripepi blasted a solo home run and the Runnin' Bulldogs strung together timely hits to score four runs in the frame and rebuild a comfortable lead.
Liao added another big day at the plate with two hits and three RBIs, while Matt Ilgenfritz chipped in an RBI double. Allan Camarillo reached base twice and scored two runs as the Runnin' Bulldogs continued to apply pressure offensively.
Despite Elon continuing to chip away, including a trio of home runs, Gardner-Webb continued to respond. The Runnin' Bulldogs pushed across a run in the sixth before adding three more in the seventh to maintain control of the game.
On the mound, Jack Iannibelli earned the victory with two innings of relief, striking out three while allowing just one hit. Jerek Hobb followed with important middle relief before Colby Humphries closed the door, tossing the final 1.2 innings to record his second save of the season.
Gardner-Webb returns to action on April 10-12, heading to the West Coast to take on Washington State in a three-game series.
