BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Toledo softball plated three runs in the fifth inning on Friday afternoon and held on for a 4-3 victory at Gardner-Webb (0-5).

"It was another tight, stressful game which is great," Head Coach Joe Abraham said. "These type of games will help us throughout our season."

Senior Erin Hunt (5-2) picked up the victory for the Rockets (7-5) with her seventh complete game of the season. She allowed four hits and fanned 10 with all three Bulldog runs being unearned.

"We weren't sharp at times defensively, but we made a couple of key plays and Erin pitched out of some jams," Abraham said. "We made four or five physical errors and a couple of mental errors. Our clutch hitting was hit and miss, yet we still pulled out the win."

Sophomore Leah Munson led the way offensively with a double and single to pace Toledo's seven-hit attack. She nearly homered in the opening frame when her drive to left-center hit the top of the fence.

Toledo took an early 1-0 lead in the second on freshman Lexi Eckman's two-out single in her first collegiate at-bat.

"It was huge when Lexi got that hit because our bottom of the order gave us a 1-0 lead," Abraham said.

Gardner-Webb took advantage of a pair of Rocket miscues to score two in the third. With runners on first and second with one out, senior third baseman Dayna Denner overthrew first base to allow both runners to score on a Bulldog bunt attempt.

Toledo rallied with three runs in the fifth to regain the lead. Munson's sacrifice fly tied the score at 2-2, and Denner doubled to right-center to plate freshman Arika Reed for a 3-2 lead. Junior right fielder Anna Dixon's two-out single provided the Rockets an insurance run.

The Bulldogs closed to within 4-3 in the seventh, but Hunt got the Bulldogs' final batter on a popup.

Toledo will play four more games this weekend, facing both Saint Francis (Pa.) and Gardner-Webb tomorrow and Sunday.

"We have four tough games the next two days," Abraham said. "St. Francis has two excellent pitchers and Gardner-Webb was 24-5 last year. This will be a good challenge for us."