BOX SCORE

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs overcame an early 5-0 deficit, plating 13 runs in the final three innings to defeat the Railsplitters of Lincoln Memorial University 14-9 in South Atlantic Conference baseball action Friday night at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Bulldogs win their seventh straight, improving to 22-10 overall and 15-4 in the SAC. Wingate has also won seven straight SAC games, moving into first place in the conference. LMU falls to 16-17 overall and 8-8 in the league.

Junior catcher Taylor Honeycutt (Indian Trail, N.C.) led the offense, going three-for-four with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored. All nine starters had a hit and either scored or drove in a run. Freshman infielder Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) was two-for-four with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore shortstop Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) had two hits and two RBI, extending his hitting streak to 19 games.

Junior designated hitter Tres Ramirez (Ocala, Fla.) had two RBI and two runs scored, while redshirt senior outfielder Nick Siega-Riz (Clemmons, N.C.) drove in two runs and scored twice. The Bulldogs have now scored 106 runs in their seven-game winning streak.

Senior outfielder Ben Adleburg (Madisonville, Fla.) was two-for-five with a homer and two RBI to lead the LMU attack. Junior designated hitter Eric Kitts (Blaine, Tenn.) went three-for-four with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Junior outfielder Cody Pack (Andersonville, Tenn.) added a double, RBI and two runs scored for the Railsplitters.

LMU struck first, scoring three runs in the second. Kitts drove home the first run with an RBI double, followed by an RBI single from sophomore infielder Gelson Perez (Gurabo, P.R.) to make it 2-0. Junior infielder Juan Alvarez (Carolina, P.R.) added a sacrifice fly for a three-run lead.

An RBI double from freshman outfielder Garrett Copeland (Knoxville, Tenn.) made it 4-0 in the fourth. Alvarez added another RBI single in the fourth to put the Railsplitters on top 5-0.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Ramirez to make it 5-1. Wingate plated four runs in the sixth to tie the game at five. Karr scored the first run of the inning on an LMU error. Siega-Riz followed with a two-run double to make it 5-4. He would score on a wild pitch to tie the game.

LMU answered in the seventh on a two-run homer from Adleburg, making it 7-5.

The Bulldogs responded with six runs in the bottom of the seventh to take their first lead. Karr’s sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left over the scoreboard tied the game at seven. Wingate took its first lead of the game on a two-run double from Honeycutt. Vazquez followed with a two-run single to give the Bulldogs an 11-7 lead.

LMU scored a run in the top of the eighth, but Wingate once again had the answer, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) plated the first run with an RBI groundout. Ramirez followed with an RBI single, while the third run scored when Honeycutt was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, making it 14-8.

Freshman right-hander Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.) got the win in relief, improving to 3-0 on the season. He allowed two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings of work, striking out one. Junior left-hander Steven Starbird (Rutledge, Tenn.) took the loss, falling to 4-4 on the year. He allowed nine runs (Four earned) on nine hits in six innings of work, striking out three and walking four.

The teams meet for a doubleheader Saturday, with game one starting at 1 p.m. The Wingate Sports Network will provide a live pay-per-view video broadcast for Saturday’s twinbill.