Wingate, N.C.----Newberry College pinch hitter Derek Bley drew a base on balls, advanced to third on two wild pitches and was driven home on Patrick Regalado’s RBI single in the top of the ninth to lead the Wolves to a 4-3 victory over Wingate in the South Atlantic Conference baseball series opener on Friday night.

Wingate had tied the game in the bottom of the eighth when senior catcher Taylor Honeycutt (Indian Trail, N.C.) belted a two-run homer. The ‘Dogs would go on to load the bases in the eighth, but Newberry closer Tyler Sturkie entered the game and struck out Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) to end the rally.

Sturkie closed out the ninth inning in relief of Newberry starter Evan Brown. Sturkie improve to 2-0 on the season. Brown pitched 7 2/3 innings, scattering seven hits and three runs (all earned). Chris Nelson (Greenville, N.C.) pitched eight strong innings for the Bulldogs, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out nine. Drew Boyer (Millet, Alberta) took the loss for Wingate.

Newberry got on the board early as Chris Love homered in the first inning to give the Wolves a quick 2-0 lead. Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) got the Bulldog offense started with his solo shot in the second inning. Newberry’s Kevin Rufus answered in the third with his home run to right-center field. Rufus was two-for-four on the night with two runs and a RBI.

Neither team would score again until Honeycutt’s game-tying home run in the eighth. Infielders Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) and Cody Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.) had three hits each to lead the Wingate effort.

Newberry improves to 13-14 overall, 7-6 in the South Atlantic Conference. Wingate falls to 19-12 overall, 8-5 in the SAC. The two teams will conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

(Wingate University sports information student assistant Daniel Smith wrote this story. Smith is a senior Parks and Recreation Administration major from Oakboro, N.C.)