BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Merik Carter and Matt Ilgenfritz combined for six hits and four RBIs while the Gardner-Webb (24-30, 9-14) baseball team took care of visiting Presbyterian (12-43, 8-15) 11-6 on Friday evening at John Henry Moss Stadium.
The Runnin' Bulldogs put up 11 runs on 14 hits, including a pair of homeruns off the bat of Kelvin Agosto and Drew Ripepi. Carter added a triple on his resume.
Gardner-Webb wasted no time putting runs, scoring three times in the first inning off PC starting pitcher Christopher Charalambous. Thad Ector and Carter led the frame off with back-to-back hits before Agosto deposited his 10th home run over the right field fence.
A single run in the fourth allowed the Runnin' Bulldogs to extend their lead to 4-0 before Presbyterian erupted for three runs in the top of the fifth, the big blow coming from a two-run homer by Brody Linker, closing the deficit to 4-3.
Gardner-Webb picked one of those runs back up in the bottom of the fifth after an RBI double by Ilgenfritz that plated Agosto. However, Presbyterian posted a pair of runs in the sixth, knotting the score at 5-all.
After a scoreless sixth for the Dawgs, Gardner-Webb regained the lead in the home half of the seventh as Ryan Kennell provided a clutch two-RBI single to right center. The Runnin' Bulldogs blew the game open in the eighth with four runs, including RBI hits from Carter, Anthony Hausner, and Ilgenfritz.
Presbyterian posted one run in the top of the ninth, but it was too little, too late as Colby Putnam induced a ground ball double play to end the game. Putnam picked up the win after tossing 3.1 innings out of the pen while allowing two hits and one run.
Gardner-Webb wraps-up the 2026 season tomorrow afternoon as the Blue Hose and Dawgs battle in the rubber match at Bill Masters Field. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
