Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs and visiting Newberry College split a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. Newberry held off a late Wingate rally and took the opener 6-4, while Wingate earned a walk-off 7-6 victory in the nightcap. The Bulldogs (20-13, 9-6 SAC) remain in a tie for second place with Lincoln Memorial University after the split. Newberry moves to 14-15 overall and 8-7 in SAC play, good for a tie for fourth.

Game #1
Newberry 6, Wingate 4

Newberry broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning and held off a late rally to claim a 6-4 win in the opener. Both starting pitchers threw five scoreless innings, but Newberry was able to take the lead for good in the sixth. Freshman first baseman Evan Darr (North Augusta, S.C.) smacked a two-out RBI single off Wingate sophomore starter Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.). The Wolves followed with solo runs in the seventh and eighth.

Wingate junior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) followed up a Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) double with a RBI single to get the Bulldogs on the board in the eighth. After Newberry added three more runs in the ninth, Wingate mounted a rally in the bottom half of the inning trailing 6-1. Sophomore third baseman James Tedder (Clemmons, N.C.) led off the inning with a single.

After a walk and an error loaded the bases with one out, Vazquez delivered a sacrifice-fly RBI to cut the deficit to four. Another Newberry error scored a run for the Bulldogs, followed by an RBI single by Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.). The Yeung base hit pulled the Bulldogs within two runs. With two on and two out, Newberry reliever Kyle Christian (Charleston, S.C.) saved the game by inducing a fly out by junior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.).

Eight of the nine Wingate starters had a hit, while McPherson was the only Bulldog with two. Darr and senior shortstop Chris Love (Columbia, S.C.) each had a pair of hits to lead the Wolves.

Freshman left-hander Cole Robison (Greer, S.C.) pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing one run and seven hits to get the win and improve to 4-3 overall. Somers (3-2 overall) took the loss for Wingate, allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out seven. Christian picked up his second save of 2011.

Game #2
Wingate 7, Newberry 6 (10 innings)

Allison delivered a one-out RBI single in the tenth inning of a scheduled seven-inning game to cap the Bulldog comeback in game two of the doubleheader. The game-winning run was scored by Vazquez, breaking a five-inning scoring drought after an entertaining first four frames.

Each team plated solo runs in the first and second. Newberry center fielder Kevin Rufus (Andrews, S.C.) opened the game by walking, then advancing to third after a stolen base and wild pitch. Two batters later, Love drove him home with a sacrifice fly.

In the Wingate first, senior outfielder Cale Rogers (Snow Camp, N.C.) led off with a triple to right field. Two batters later, McPherson reached on an infield single to bring home Rogers and tie the game. Wingate again tied the game in the second, thanks to a Rogers RBI single that scored freshman infielder Matthew Barrier (Mt. Pleasant, N.C.), who led off the inning with a single.

After a scoreless third, each team continued to mirror the other, with four runs each in the fourth frame. Newberry took advantage of two Wingate errors, the second of which allowed three runs to score off Wingate freshman starter Greyson Davis (New Bern, N.C.).

The Bulldogs would respond and tie the game in the bottom of the inning with one swing of the bat from McPherson. The former Graham High School standout sent the first pitch from senior Newberry reliever Matt Mege (Levittown, N.Y.) down the right field line for a grand slam to tie the game at 6-6. The homer was McPherson’s fourth of the 2011 season.

Neither team would produce a run in the next five frames even though the Bulldogs had a chance to win it in the seventh. With Barrier on second and two outs, Rogers sent a single up the middle, but Rufus delivered a perfect strike from centerfield to nail Barrier at home, sending the game into extras. The Wolves left the bases loaded in the ninth and two on base in the 10th.

In the deciding 10th stanza, Vazquez led off with a walk, followed by another McPherson infield single off Newberry sophomore reliever DJ Hearsey (Oviedo, Fla.). Two batters later (with the outfield playing shallow), Allison sent a fly ball over Rufus in center to score Vazquez and end the game.

Rogers led Wingate with four hits, while McPherson drove in five. Allison, Barrier and freshman second baseman Cody Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.) added two hits each.

The ‘Dogs received great pitching from the bullpen as three relievers combined for six shutout innings, while allowing only one hit. The final reliever was freshman Ben Currie (Clemmons, N.C.) who earned his first career win. He is now 1-4 overall on the season. Hearsey took the loss, falling to 0-1 overall.

Wingate will be back in action on Tuesday night, hosting the Yellow Jackets of West Virginia State University at 7 p.m. Newberry will also take the field at home Tuesday, entertaining USC Aiken at 6 p.m.

(Wingate University Director of Broadcasting and sports information assistant Ryan Brown wrote this article. Brown is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)