Gainesville, Fla. - The Gardner-Webb softball team went 1-1 over their two games on Friday, day one of the 2012 UF Lipton Invitational hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.

The Runnin' Bulldogs posted an 8-6 come from behind win over Tennessee State in the afternoon game, then suffered a 9-0 shutout loss in five innings to No. 3/4 Florida in the nightcap.

The Runnin' Bulldogs move to 7-9 overall with Friday's split.

Game 1: Gardner-Webb 8, Tennessee State 6

Gardner-Webb used a four-run fifth to erase a Tennessee State lead and earn an 8-6 come from behind win over the Tigers in the two teams' first game of the 2012 UF Lipton Invitational on Friday afternoon.

The Runnin' Bulldogs found themselves down early, as Tennessee State started the game with a lead-off single and then stole second. After freshman catcher Amanda Gomes picked off leadoff hitter Jennifer Givens at second base for the first out of the inning, the Tigers next two batters beached base safely on a single up the middle and a base-on-balls. 

Clean up hitter Jordan Rehl would then single up the middle, where a GWU throwing error would help the Tigers plate two to take an early 2-0 lead.

GWU would get one run back in the bottom of the first, as leadoff hitter Samantha Meenaghan reached on a fielding error to start the inning.  With one out, freshman third-baseman Savannah Burns singled to second to put runners on first and second for the middle of the order.

Burns would then score on a Tennessee State throwing error on the next play to cut the Tigers lead to one at 2-1 after one inning of play.

After Tennessee State pushed their lead back out to two at 3-1 on an RBI ground out in the top of the third, Gardner-Webb battled back to score two runs in the bottom half of the third to tie the score up at 3-3.

GWU's Jordyn Arrowood doubled down the right field line to get things started for the offense with one out.  After back-to-back walks to Burns and senior Lindsea Hutchinson loaded the bases, Arrowood would score on a pass ball to put the score at 3-2 in favor of the Tigers.

Redshirt-sophomore Morgan Baker would then ground out to second, but in the process drive in Burns to tie the score up at 3-3 heading into the fourth.

The back-and-forth game continued, as the Tigers scored three runs, highlighted by a home run by catcher Devin Amar, to retake the lead at 6-3 with two and a half innings to play.

Refusing to quit, the Runnin' Bulldogs' Melinda Dulkowski led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to left center, bringing up the top of the order once more for GWU. After a pop out, Arrowood singled to short to put runners on first and second with one out for Burns, who lined a single to left center to score Dulkowski and cut the Tigers lead back to two at 6-4.

Redshirt-senior pitcher Cindy Boomhower would enter the game in the top of the fifth and would shut down the Tigers over the final three innings, keeping them from adding to their lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Runnin' Bulldog offense again came through, scoring four runs on three hits and two Tiger errors.

Baker led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch.  Senior McKenzie Morenus then moved pitch runner Emily Bowman up to second with a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning.

After Gomes walked and advanced to second on a throwing error, Bowman would score on a pass ball to cut into the Tiger lead once more.  Senior Jane Savage would then single to right, in which pitch runner Rachel Jablonski would score on the play to tie the game up at 6-6.

With a runner on second and one out, Dulkowski would rip a triple to left center to score Savage and put the Runnin' Bulldogs in front by one at 7-6.

GWU would add another run on a fielding error by the Tigers to push their lead out to two at 8-6.

Neither team would score over the final two innings, as Gardner-Webb would hold on for the 8-6 come from behind win.

Boomhower (3-1) picked up the win in relief work, as she allowed only three hits, while striking out two over the final three innings of the game.

The Tigers' Kelly Troglin (0-2) suffered the loss, as she gave up five runs on seven hits and one walk over three innings of action.

At the plate, Dulkowski was 2-3 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored, while Arrowood was 3-4 with a double and a run scored.  Burns was 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Bakers was 1-2 with an RBI.

Rehl was 4-4 with three RBI, while Amar was 2-4 with a home run for the Tigers.

Game 2: No. 3/4 Florida 9, Gardner-Webb 0 (5 innings)

The Florida Gators scored four runs in the first and never looked back, defeating GWU 9-0 in five innings in the nightcap on day one of the UF Lipton Invitational.

Meenaghan led off the game with single then advanced to second on a throwing error.  After back-to-back strikeouts and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first, Morenus popped out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the first, after the lead-off hitter made an out, the next four batters reached base safely on a single, double, walk and another single, pushing the Gators in front at 2-0. 

Later in the inning, Ensley Gammel singled to right center to drive in two more runs and put the home team in front by four at 4-0.

After GWU put another runner on base safely in the top of the second, yet failed to drive her in, the Gators' bats stayed hot in the bottom of the second, highlighted by a lead-off home run by Michelle Moultrie and a two-run home run by Kelsey Horton, to put Florida in front big at 7-0 after two innings played.

The Gators added two more runs in the bottom of the third and held the Runnin' Bulldogs off the scoreboard to hold on for the 9-0 shutout win.

Gutierrez (2-4) was handed the loss, giving up seven runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out one over the first two innings of the game.

Lauren Haeger (5-1) earned the complete game shutout win, as she allowed four hits and issued two walks, while striking out 11 GWU batters.

For GWU at the plate Dulkowski was 2-2, while both Gomes and Meenaghan were 1-2 for the game.

For the nationally ranked Gators, both Gammel and Cheyenne Coyless were 2-3 with two RBI, while Horton was 1-3 with a home run and two RBI.

Gardner-Webb (7-9) will return to action tomorrow morning, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will take on Eastern Michigan and No. 3/4 Florida on day two of the 2012 UF Lipton Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.  Game one versus Eastern Michigan is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m., while GWU is scheduled to take on Florida at 12 p.m. noon eastern time.

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