Wingate, N.C.----The Mars Hill College Lions swept a doubleheader over the 29th-ranked Bulldogs of Wingate University in South Atlantic Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Lions won by scores of 15-5 and 7-6 (nine innings) to improve to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in the SAC. Wingate sees its seven-game winning streak snapped, falling to 11-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
Game #1: Mars Hill 15, Wingate 5
Senior outfielder Michael Brittian (Asheville, N.C.) was two-for-five with a homer and five RBI to lead the Mars Hill attack. Junior infielder Christian Diaz (Mansfield, Texas) was three-for-five with two RBI and a run scored. Junior outfielder Brandon King (West Palm Beach, Fla.) had two RBI and three runs scored, while senior catcher Adam Lewis (MacClenny, Fla.) had a homer, two RBI and two runs scored for the Lions.
Senior catcher Taylor Honeycutt (Indian Trail, N.C.) was two-for-four with a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) was two-for-three with a run scored, while senior outfielder Cale Rogers (Snow Camp, N.C.) reached base three times, scoring a run and collecting an RBI.
The Lions came out hot, plating 10 runs in the first three innings. Lewis got it started with a two-run homer in the first, while an RBI single from senior infielder Dalton Hardee (Boone, N.C.) made it 4-0 after one inning.
RBI singles from Diaz and Brittian, along with an RBI groundout made it 7-0 after two innings. King lined an RBI double down the left field line to make it 9-0 in the third, while Diaz made it 10-0 with an RBI single.
The Lions took an 11-0 lead on a Wingate error in the fifth. The ‘Dogs got on the board in the fifth on an RBI double from Honeycutt. Hardee homered in the sixth to push the MHC lead back to 11. A sacrifice fly from Rogers in the bottom of the inning made it 12-2.
An RBI double from McPherson, followed by an RBI single from Allison cut the lead to eight in the seventh. The Lions had the answer in the eighth, getting a three-run homer from Brittian to make it 15-4. Honeycutt blasted his second homer of the year in the eighth to make it 15-5.
Freshman left-hander Andy Runion (Prince George, Va.) got the win, improving to 2-1 on the year. He allowed two runs on four hits in six innings of work, striking out two. Junior right-hander Justin Nygard (Wilson, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 1-1 on the year. He allowed seven runs (four earned) on five hits in 1 2/3 innings of work.
Game #2: Mars Hill 7, Wingate 6 (nine innings)
Junior infielder Michael Bueker (Cooper City, Fla.) was three-for-six with an RBI and run scored to lead the Mars Hill attack. Diaz drove in a pair of runs, while King scored twice for the Lions.
Junior infielder Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) was two-for-four with an RBI and run scored to lead the Wingate attack. Yeung and Allison each had an RBI and run scored, while redshirt sophomore catcher Jason Hunter (West Chester, Pa.) was two-for-four with a double and an RBI.
The Lions once again took an early lead, scoring a pair of runs in each of the first two innings. Diaz plated the first run with an RBI groundout, while the second run scored on a Wingate error. An RBI single from Bueker, along with an RBI groundout from Lewis gave the Lions a 4-0 lead in the second.
Wingate scored twice in the bottom of the second to cut the lead in half. Hunter drove home the first run with an RBI single, while Rogers scored the second run on a Mars Hill error.
Diaz registered another RBI groundout in the fourth to push the Mars Hill lead to three. Wingate answered with two runs in the sixth. Allison doubled to right to drive home the first run, while a sacrifice fly from Rogers made it 5-4.
Junior infielder Coty Pate (Knoxville, Tenn.) gave the Lions a 6-4 lead with a solo homer in the seventh.
The Bulldogs had the answer, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning to send the game to extras. Vazquez started the rally with a one-out single up the middle. After a flyout, McPherson was intentionally walked. Yeung lined an RBI single to right center to get Wingate within one, while Karr ripped an RBI single to left to tie the game at six.
The Lions responded with a run in the ninth, when smith scored on an RBI single from junior infielder Tyler Reboulet (Fishers, Ind.) to give MHC the 7-6 lead.
Junior right-hander Tony Hearrell (Charlotte, N.C.) got the win, improving to 1-2 on the year. He pitched the final 2 1/3 innings without allowing a run on three hits, striking out two. Freshman right-hander Stephen Vaughan (Wilmington, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the year. He allowed one run on two hits in two innings of work, striking out one.
Wingate returns to action Tuesday, hosting Belmont Abbey at 3 p.m. Mars Hill travels to Young Harris Tuesday for a 2 p.m. start.
