ROCK HILL, SC— Madyson Watson hit a two-run walk-off homerun for a 9-1 win in five innings to help Winthrop softball to a doubleheader split with Gardner-Webb, Friday evening at Terry Field. The Eagles fell 2-1 to the Runnin's Bulldogs in the first game.

GAME INFORMATION
RECORDS: Winthrop (14-16, 3-5 Big South) | Gardner-Webb (21-12, 2-3 Big South)
WINTHROP LEADERS: Madyson Watson (3-for-3, R, HR, 4RBI / Win, 5IP, 6H, R, BB, 2K) | Blake Wallert (3-for-6, 3R, 2B, HR)
 
WHAT HAPPENED
Game 1

• Winthrop's Kiley Majette and Gardner-Webb's Brooke Perry turned in strong pitching performances
• Majette tossed eight innings allowing two unearned runs on three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts but took the loss and falls to 4-10
• Perry tossed eight innings allowing one run on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts to improve to 13-6
• The Runnin' Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Andria Booth reached on an error, raced to third on a single by Annamarie Warley and came around to score on the play when a throw to third bounced into foul territory
• Perry had a no-hitter until the fifth inning when Ansley Gilreath broke it up with a single to left
• Winthrop tied the game in the sixth inning as Keleigh Romine drew a two-out walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Makenzye Whitman
• Brooke Ellison stepped in and tripled off the wall in right on a full count as Whitman raced around to score the tying run
• The game moved to extra innings where Booth led off the inning with a single for Gardner-Webb
• Booth stole second and moved over to third on the play as the throw got away
• After Majette got a pop out, Booth scored on a passed ball for the game-winning run

Game 2

• For the second time on the day, Gardner-Webb took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Booth led off with a single, stole second and then scored on a single from Autumn Owen
• Eagles grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second as Taylor Charlton got things going with a one-out walk
• Blake Wallert then singled to short, but was able to advance on an error as a late throw was off the mark at first and Charlton moved to third
• Sabrina Shroades followed with a single through the left side, scoring both Charlton and Wallert
• Winthrop tacked on three more in the third inning as Gilreath hit a one-out homerun with a blast over the left field fence
• Ellison followed with a single and moved to second as Charlton drew another walk
• Shroades walked to load the bases with two outs as Madyson Watson stepped in and ripped a single up the middle to score Ellison and Charlton for a 5-1 lead
• Ellison made it 6-1 in the fourth when she scored Morgan Lowers from third on a sacrifice fly to center
• Wallert led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homerun to left to make it a 7-1 lead
• Shroades reached on an error and then Watson when opposite field for a two-run homerun, her first of the season
• Watson finished with a complete game to improve to 7-3 after allowing one run on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts
• Watson also finished 3-for-3 at the plate with a run and career-high four RBI

EXTRA BASES

• This was the first win in less than seven innings for the Eagles this season
• The three homeruns in the second game were a season-high for the Eagles with two being the previous high achieved three times this year
• This was the ninth game of the year with the Eagles scoring seven or more runs and the second time scoring nine runs in league play
• Wallert has now hit safely in four straight games and Westbrooks (who didn't play in game two) extended her streak of reaching base to eight games
• Romine has now reached base in six straight games and Wallert five straight
• Watson now leads the team in conference play with six RBI

ON DECK
The two teams will wrap-up the weekend series with a single-game on Saturday, Mar. 30 at 1 p.m.