CHARLESTON – Gardner-Webb evened the weekend series at Charleston Southern on Saturday. They claimed the game by a final score of 8-5 and used a three-run homer in the seventh inning to power them to the victory.
 
Gardner-Webb were the first to score in the ballgame, tallying four unanswered runs to begin the game. They had three in the second and another in the fourth to push their advantage to 4-0.
 
In the fifth, Nathan Martinez had a leadoff single and was brought home on a double by Gavin Speirs that went into the corner in left field. Speirs moved to third on a flyout by Blake Edgmon and a sacrifice flyout by Caden Wolfey moved Speirs the final 90 feet.
 
The sixth saw Charleston Southern load the bases with Alex Marot and Mason Reising getting aboard via walks and Martinez getting on with a hit by pitch. Speirs laid down a sacrifice bunt to score the first and on Edgmon's fielder's choice, Martinez delayed his putout to allow Reising to score from third and tie the game at four apiece.
 
Gardner-Webb regained the lead in the eighth off a three-run home run by Matt Ilgenfritz to take the lead at 7-4. Charleston Southern scratched one across in the eighth, while the Runnin' Bulldogs got an insurance run in the ninth to have the game end at 8-5.
 
Wolfley and Pringle led the team at the plate with a pair of hits. Marot and Reising each drew a pair of walks in the contest with Martinez getting hit by a pair of pitches as well.
 
On the mound, Brady Bickett had the start and threw the first four innings, allowing four runs, three being earned to go with seven hits and three walks. Christian Krause threw a scoreless fifth and was followed by Aydan Smith who had 3.1 of work, allowing four earned runs and Drew Dawson had the final 0.2 innings.
 
 
 
The teams will return to Nielsen Field @ CSU Ballpark for the series finale tomorrow afternoon. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 22 with the game to be available live on ESPN+.