BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Charleston Southern had its three-game Big South Conference winning streak snapped as Gardner-Webb scored four early runs and made it stand for a 7-4 win in the first game of a three-game Big South series on Friday night.

Gardner-Webb improved to 16-13-1 overall and evened its Big South record at 5-5. Charleston Southern dropped to 11-18 overall and 3-4 in league play, falling to 0-12 on the road this season.

CSU starter Ryan Gunther took the loss, falling to 3-4 on the season. Gunther allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts in six innings.

Junior outfielder Zack Hagaman continued his hot hitting for the Buccaneers, picking up two hits and and an RBI. Hagaman is 13-of-22 with 11 RBIs over his last five games.

Sophomore Chase Shelton had three hits and an RBI in the loss for CSU as well.

Matt Fraudin earned the victory for Gardner-Webb, improving to 5-2 this season. Fraudin allowed two runs in the third inning and allowed five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The Bulldogs scored early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first on Benji Jackson's run-scoring single. Ryan Hodge delivered a two-run double and Henry Rundio added an RBI single to give Gardner-Webb a 4-0 lead after two innings.

The Buccaneers got on the board in the third. Catcher Drew Woodall singled and moved to second on Kevin Hickey's groundout. Bobby Ison scored Woodall with a single to right, trimming the lead to 4-1. After Alex Tomasovich walked, Hagaman singled to right, scoring Ison.

Gardner-Webb tacked on a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third, upping the advantage to 6-2.

CSU loaded the bases in the seventh with two outs but the rally was ended with Tomasovich's flyout to center.

The Bucs scratched a run in the top of the eighth when Shelton delivered a two-out RBI single to score Hagaman, who had reached on a single to lead off the inning.

Gardner-Webb answered the CSU score with a run of its own, upping the lead back to 7-3 after eight innings.

Game two of the series is Saturday at 2 p.m. CSU will send Tony Schroff (4-1, 3.97) to the bump, facing Gardner-Webb's Andrew Barnett (1-1, 2.87).