BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Campbell softball split its doubleheader at Gardner-Webb Friday afternoon. It won game one 6-4, while falling in game two to the Runnin' Bulldogs 8-1.
Game 1: Campbell 6, Gardner-Webb 4
Campbell wasted little time getting the bats rolling in game one, as the leadoff batter, Amber Schisler, doubled to left field on a 0-2 pitch. Up next, Rachel McCollum singled to third base, which allowed Schisler to advance to third. Two batters later, with McCollum having stolen second, Taesha DuBoise grounded out to the shortstop, plating Schisler for the 1-0 lead. Chandler Patterson later roped a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a RBI single as McCollum scored from 60-feet away.
The Fighting Camels tallied three more runs in the top of the second inning, all with two outs on the board. Jessica Anderson sprinted home after Devyn Terry's wild pitch to Schisler. Following the errant throw, Campbell notched four consecutive hits, including DuBoise's second RBI hit of the day, scoring two runs to increase the lead to 5-0.
Katie Baker carried a perfect game into the bottom of the fourth, but was unable to carry it through the inning as Gardner-Webb registered one hit, a double to left center, and three base runners in the inning. With the bases loaded and one out in the inning, Baker halted the threat from the Running Bulldogs with a five-pitch strikeout and a four-pitch groundout.
Gardner-Webb scored four times in the bottom half of the fifth inning to trim its deficit to one run. Jill Blank's double to left center cleared the bases, closing the gap to 5-3. Two batters later, Rachel Cumiskey hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, allowing Blank to score from third after she reached on a wild pitch during the previous at-bat.
The Camels scored once in the top of the sixth as Lizabeth McCurry hit a home run to right centerfield, her fourth long ball of the year. Campbell was able to hold on in the bottom of the sixth and seventh, to take the first game of the doubleheader 6-4.
Katie Baker earned her fourth win of the season in 4 1/3 innings of work while Devyn Terry took the loss, her fourth of the campaign.
Game 2: Campbell 1, Gardner-Webb 8
Back-to-back hits began game two, as Schisler hit a double to right centerfield, matching her leadoff double from game one. One pitch later, McCollum hit a RBI single to centerfield bringing in Schisler from second.
Cumiskey drove in two runs in the bottom half of the first inning on her double to left centerfield, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs a 2-1 edge after the first inning. They added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning as Cumiskey and Amanda Gomes hit back-to-back home runs to left centerfield, extending the lead to 4-1. With the score still 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Blank and Gomes each hit a 2-RBI single take an 8-1 lead.
After the two runs by the Bulldogs in the third, the Camels only mustered two hits for the rest of the contest, failing trim their deficit and dropping the contest 8-1 to split the doubleheader.
Courtney Roberts suffered the loss, her third of the season, giving up four runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings. Mackenzie Thompson earned the win in a complete game effort, allowing only one run.
These two games will square off Saturday at 1 p.m. in Boiling Springs for the rubber match of the series.
