BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – It was a battle of key innings between the Wofford baseball team and Gardner-Webb Friday night at Jon Henry Moss Stadium, as the Terriers opened with a three-run first inning before the Runnin' Bulldogs put forth the decisive response with a four-run eighth to claim a 5-3 win. Wofford drops to 29-14 with the result as Gardner-Webb improves to 18-26.
 
Reliever Kenny Michaels (3-1) suffered the loss for Wofford after giving up four runs in 1.2 innings of action on four hits and one walk. He struck out one. Zac Cowan turned in another quality start to begin the game, tossing 6.0 innings with just one run allowed on two hits and three walks with three punchouts. Alec Bouchard was the final pitcher of the game for the Terriers, facing two batters in the eighth to secure the final out.
 
Connor Maggi (2-0) picked up the win for Gardner-Webb after pitching the final 3.2 innings. He did not allow any runs or hits but did issue a walk.
 
Daniel Jackson led the way for Wofford with three hits as one of two Terriers with a multi-hit effort. He drove in one run. Brice Martinez was the other with multiple hits, tallying two base knocks. Martinez now needs just three more hits to reach the coveted milestone of 200 in his career. Tyler Hare added an RBI double, the lone extra-base hit for Wofford, and Lucas Manning recorded the other Terrier RBI with his single. Manning swiped the lone Wofford steal of the game. Dixon Black and Jack Renwick collected the last two Wofford hits, and Black also drew a walk to reach base two total times.
 
Wofford jumped on Gardner-Webb quickly with three runs in the top of the first. After Dixon Black and Brice Martinez hit back-to-back singles, Daniel Jackson added a third to drive home Black. Tyler Hare then doubled over the right fielder's head to plate Martinez, and Lucas Manning's infield single plated the third run of the frame for a quick 3-0 advantage.
 
Gardner-Webb found its response in the fourth after three consecutive scoreless frames tossed by Zac Cowan. A sacrifice fly with the bases loaded plated the first run for the Runnin' Bulldogs, who threatened to add more if not for a running grab on the warning track by Marshall Toole to end the frame and leave two stranded. But GWU had cut into the margin, 3-1.
 
Pitching continued to hold firm thereafter, forcing three-straight scoreless innings for both teams. It was the Runnin' Bulldogs who broke back through in the bottom of the eighth. A high popout that got lost in the lights opened the inning as a lead-off double. A two-run homer followed to tie the game. Later in the frame, a two-run single pushed GWU ahead, 5-3.

Needing a rally, the Terriers got a runner on with one out by way of an error, but a double play ensued to grant GWU the 5-3 win.
 
The series will continue on Sunday with weather now forcing changes to the original schedule for the weekend. Game two was originally scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. in Spartanburg, but forecasted inclement weather has forced a cancelation of that game. The series is now scheduled to conclude on Sunday with a doubleheader taking place at Gardner-Webb beginning at 12:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow and check @woffordbaseball and @woffordterriers on Twitter and Instagram for any further schedule updates for the weekend should they arise.