After falling behind 2-0 in game two, the Presbyterian College softball team fought back with the tying run at the plate on several occasions, and had runners on first and second with no outs in the fifth, but could not get the hits when it counted, dropping a 2-0 decision to Gardner Webb in the final game of the day at the PC Softball Complex in Clinton, S.C. The Blue Hose scored seven runs in the first inning of game one but did not score again as the Runnin' Bulldogs used a nine-run third inning to rally back and earn the 11-8 win.
The Blue Hose drop to 18-21 overall and 5-7 in the Big South, while the Runnin' Bulldogs improve to 6-25, 3-12.
Cat Tarvin collected three hits to lead PC. Her base hit up the middle in the first inning of game drove in the first run of the game. Morgan Durham recorded two hits on the day, her first a two-run home run in the first inning as well. It was her eighth of the season and provided PC's sixth and seventh runs of the game. Her second hit came in the bottom of the sixth with two out as PC attempted the late rally.
Erin Taylor led the team with four RBI, three of them coming off her second home run of the season, this one to left that put PC up 5-0 early in game one. She walked in a run with bases loaded in the fifth as well. Mary Ellen Morris came away with a hit, collecting a RBI double in the first inning.
Shelby Petik hit a double in the seventh with one out to put a runner in scoring position but the next two batters were retired to help GWU preserve its win. PC's most serious threat came in the fifth when the first two batters walked and moved up a base off a sacrifice bunt from Taylor. That would be as close as the team would get ad the next two batters went down in order.
Tarvin picked up the loss in game one (4-2) after throwing 5.0 innings and giving up five earned runs off 10 hits. Sydney Seigler came in relief and pitched a sold 2.0 innings, surrendering just one hit and striking out three. Kelsey Barnette (2-4) pitched a complete game two, allowing just two runs off eight hits and striking out three.
Samantha Meenaghan led the GWU offense, going three-for nine, with four RBI, three coming in a three-run homer in the third inning of game one. Samantha Burns collected three RBI, two of which came off a single in that same inning. Burns added her third RBI of the day with a solo shot, her first of the season, in the fourth inning of game two to give GWU a 1-0 lead.
Most of Gardner Webb's RBI came in the third inning of game one with Melinda Dulkowski picking up on off a double, and Jordyn Arrowood earning one off a ground-out to short. A Meenaghan single in the fifth inning of game one gave GWU its final RBI of that game and her fourth of the day.
Earning the win for the Bulldogs today were Ashley Rhyne (3-10) in game one and Jessica Childers (2-9) in game two. Rhyne threw 4.1 innings and gave up just one hit after surrendering five in the first. She struck out one and allowed eight runs. Alyssa Gutierrez picked up her first save of the year, as well, going 2.2 innings and giving up just one hit. Childers threw a complete game and gave up just three hits and struck out two.
The Blue Hose hang around Clinton this coming weekend as well, as they host Radford in a three-game series April 13-14. First pitch of the Saturday doubleheader begins at 1 p.m., with a single game slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Gardner-Webb 11, Presbyterian College 8 (Apr 09, 2013 at Clinton, S.C.) (Game 1)
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Gardner-Webb........ 009 020 0 - 11 11 0 (5-25, 2-12 BSC)
Presbyterian College 700 010 0 - 8 7 4 (18-20, 4-7 BSC)
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Pitchers: Gardner-Webb - RHYNE, Ashley; GUTIERREZ, Alyssa(5) and PRIDGEN, Taylar.
Presbyterian College - TARVIN, Cat; SEIGLER, Sydney(6) and TAYLOR, Erin.
Win-RHYNE, Ashley(3-10) Save-GUTIERREZ, Alyssa(1) Loss-TARVIN, Cat(4-2) T-2:20 A-106
HR GWU - MEENAGHAN, Samantha.
HR PC - DURHAM, Morgan.
Weather: clear, 80s
Gardner-Webb 2, Presbyterian College 0 (Apr 09, 2013 at PC Softball Complex) (Game 2)
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Gardner-Webb........ 000 110 0 - 2 8 0 (6-25, 3-12 BSC)
Presbyterian College 000 000 0 - 0 3 1 (18-21, 5-7 BSC)
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Pitchers: Gardner-Webb - CHILDERS, Jessica and PRIDGEN, Taylar. Presbyterian College -
BARNETTE, Kelsey and MARSHALL, Jennifer.
Win-CHILDERS, Jessica(2-9) Loss-BARNETTE, Kelsey(2-4) T-1:57 A-106
HR GWU - BURNS, Savannah.
Weather: clear, 80s
Game: PC04092
