BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University softball snapped a six-game losing streak to Gardner-Webb by sweeping the Bulldogs 4-3 and 6-2 Thursday afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium.
With the wins, ASU improves to 14-9 on the year while G-W falls to 10-15.
Gardner-Webb took an early lead in game one, when Jordyn Arrowood reached on a single and advanced to second on an error. She scored on a RBI single by Christa Fullwood to give the Bulldogs' a 1-0 lead.
ASU came right back in the bottom half of the inning, when Katie Boyd reached on a two-out walk, stole second and scored on an Allie Cashion single.
Appalachian tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the second. Maria Gulas drilled a double to right field and Hannah Dow followed with a walk. Michelle Gorzelle dropped down a sacrifice bunt but reached on a Bulldog error that also scored Gulas and advanced Dow to third. Sarah Rappe drove in Dow with an RBI ground out to give ASU a two-run lead.
The Apps got another run in the fourth and the eventual winning run when Dow drove in McKenzie Phillips with an RBI single.
Gardner-Webb scored two runs in the top of the seventh, but Dow came back into pitch and slammed the door on the comeback.
Dow pitched 6.2 innings, allowing just three hits and one unearned run, with four strikeouts.
ASU hit three homers in game two to grab a 6-3 win to complete the sweep.
The Apps took advantage of Gardner-Webb mistakes to take an early lead in game two. Rappe led off the game with a single up the middle, stole second and scored on an error by the G-W second baseman when she threw away a Megan Rembielak bunt. Rembielak scored two batters later on a Michelle Lighton RBI single.
Gardner-Webb tied the score in the third with RBI hits from Fullwood and Mandy Ward, however, regained the lead when Lighton launched a homer over the left field fence to give ASU a 4-2 lead.
ASU increased the lead to 5-2 when Gorzelle led off the fourth with a towering home run to right field for her first career homer.
The Apps tacked on another run in the fifth when Cashion hit a homer down the left field line.
The Bulldogs got a run in the seventh, but it wasn't enough as ASU hung on for the 6-3 win.
Lighton and Gorzelle had two hits apiece for ASU, while Lighton had three RBI.
Caitlin Wainright earned the win to move to 7-2 on the year. Fullwood and Lindsea Hutchinson had two hits apiece to lead Gardner-Webb.
ASU hosts Georgia Southern on Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader to open up its home SoCon schedule.
