BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Freshman Lauren Faulkner blasted her seventh home run of the season to right-center field in the top of the six inning to give the Longwood softball team a 3-1 lead, but Gardner-Webb rallied with four runs in the bottom of the inning to snatch a 5-3 victory on Sunday, sweeping the Big South series.
Tied, 1-1, in the bottom of the second inning when weather forced the suspension of the game to Sunday morning, the Lancers and right-hander Maggie Chapin worked out of a first-and-second, no-out jam when the game resumed.
Then, in the top of the fourth, Ava Abromavage led off with a bouncer to third base that Caitlin Colley through high to first. Abromavage stole second and moved to third on a fly to center field, before Bailey Bucholz chased her with an RBI ground ball for a 2-1 lead.
Faulkner's homer with one out in the top of the sixth on a 2-2 offering from Alli Stidham extended the Longwood lead. Gardner-Webb (29-22, 8-10), however, scored four runs — all with two out — to take the lead.
Madden McMahan-Waters started the bottom of the sixth with a walk before Chapin got Reese Collier to strike out swinging and Stidham to foul out to Sophia Knock at third base.
Maggie Knight then found the left-center field gap, scoring McMahan-Waters from first to make it 3-2. A Colley single put runners on the corners before Gardner-Webb executed a perfect double steal with pinch runners Brooke Feschi and Raigan Kelley to tie the game, 3-3.
After walks to Taylor Dreher and Lauren Spainhower, McMahan-Waters doubled to left for a 5-3 Runnin' Bulldogs' lead.
The Lancers put the first two batters on in the top of the seventh as pinch hitter Sarah Terrell reached when Stidham lost a pop up in the sun and Knock walked. The Gardner-Webb righty, though, retired pinch hitter Brooke Masingale, Brooke Bennett and Abromavage to end the game.
The Lancers scored first in the top of the first inning on Saturday on a Bennett two-out RBI single through the left side. Gardner-Webb answered in the bottom of the inning with a Stidham RBI groundout before game was suspended.
Stidham (14-6) earned the win in the circle with five innings of three-hit, one-earned-run relief of Glenna McLamb. Chapin (13-13) went the distance for the Lancers, scattering five hits and five earned runs with four walks and four strikeouts.
Knock was 2-for-3 with a walk at the plate for the Lancers.
Longwood (21-32, 7-10) will now wait to see if its season continues in the Big South tournament May 6-9 in Spartanburg, S.C. The Lancers will grab the final of five spots in the field if USC Upstate sweeps its home three-game series with Presbyterian. That set begins with a 3 p.m., doubleheader Friday and concludes with a 1 p.m., tilt on Saturday.
