BOILING SPRINGS, NC— The regular season came to a conclusion Saturday evening as Winthrop softball fell 7-5 at Gardner-Webb.

Winthrop finishes the regular season 14-41 overall and 4-20 in the Big South while Gardner-Webb is 21-32 overall and 7-17 in the league. These two teams will square off in the opening game of the Big South Conference Championship in Rock Hill, SC Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. It is a single-elimination play-in game between the 8^th and 9^th seeds of the league standings. The winner will then join the rest of the league in the double-elimination segment of the championship by facing the #1 seed later on that day.

"I thought the key to the game was we chased first and second pitches when we shouldn't have and didn't get further into the count," said Winthrop co-head coach Mark Cooke. "I thought the kids played hard and battled."

Winthrop was on the board in the top of the first inning as Morgan Lowers led off the game with a triple and scored on an infield single by Shayna Covington. After stealing second, Covington moved to third on a fielder's choice as Gardner-Webb tried to get Covington at third on the play but she slid under the tag to put runners at the corners. Young stole second to put two runners in scoring position. After Toni Pancione struck out, Blake Wallert grounded to first base as Covington raced home and looked like she might have beat the throw but was called out at the plate to keep the Eagles from grabbing a two-run lead.

Gardner-Webb answered in the bottom of the second inning on a Breanna Blakley RBI single. The next batter was Megan Champion and she laced one off the leg of Winthrop pitcher Chace Helms, forcing her to leave the game. Keleigh Romine replaced Helms and gave up one run as the Runnin' Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead.  

Wallert's RBI groundout in the top of the third inning tied the game at 2-2 but Gardner-Webb came back to grab the lead again in the bottom of the inning. The Runnin' Bulldogs loaded the bases and for the second time in the game drew a walk to plate a run. The lead went to 4-2 after Callie Thornton walked with the bases loaded and Jill Blank's single to left put Gardner-Webb up by three runs. The Runnin' Bulldogs then tacked on two more runs to lead 7-2 after three innings.

In the top of the sixth the Eagles tried to get back into the game as they put two across to make it 7-4. Tara Loken came through with an RBI single and Kiley Majette recorded a ground out RBI to second with the bases loaded. Winthrop went down fighting as Loken came through with an RBI single in the 7^th and the Eagles loaded the bases for Majette but a pop out to shortstop ended the game.

Helms started the game but had to leave after 1.1 innings as Romine came in to toss three innings of relief allowing three runs on one hit with five walks and a strikeout to fall to 2-9. Majette tossed 1.2 innings of relief allowing two runs on five hits and two walks.

Gardner-Webb's Mackenzie Thompson earned the win as she allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts to improve to 11-12. Ashley Wark tossed the final four innings to earn the save as she allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with four walks and a strikeout.

Covington, Loken and Leah Young each finished with two hits in the game.