Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) had three home runs and nine RBI, helping the Bulldogs sweep a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader over Brevard College at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Bulldogs claim second place in the league standings with the series sweep. Wingate is 30-20 overall and 17-10 in the SAC, while Brevard is 13-28 overall and 5-21 in the SAC.

Game #1
Wingate 24, Brevard 4

The Bulldogs scored 14 runs in the third inning to settle the first contest. Wingate scored 24 runs on 26 hits in the three-hour opener. Senior outfielder Cale Rogers (Snow Camp, N.C.) was four-for-five with two doubles, one triple, one home run and six RBI. The round-tripper was his first of the season. Junior infielder Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) was four-for-five with a double and a home run and four RBI. Redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) was four-for-seven with his 14th home run of the season and three RBI.

Every Wingate starter had either two or more hits or two or more RBI (or both). McPherson and freshman outfielder Garrett Hix (Columbus, Ga.) also hit home runs. Hix belted his first career dinger, a two-run shot, to conclude the scoring in the eighth inning.

Rogers led off the Bulldog first with a home run to right field to give Wingate a 1-0 lead after the opening frame. The floodgates opened in the third inning, as Wingate scored 14 runs on 11 hits and one Brevard error to take a 15-0 lead. The Bulldogs scored 11 of the 14 runs with two outs. Seventeen Wingate batters went to the plate in the inning. Rogers had two doubles and four RBI. Vazquez, Yeung and McPherson had one home run each in the third.

In the eighth inning, Brevard scored four unearned runs on one hit and two Wingate errors to avoid the shutout. Tornado junior outfielder Kameron Armacost (Littlestown, Pa.) had a two-RBI single for the visitors. Brevard also benefitted from three walks in the eighth.

Wingate sophomore right-hander Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.) improved to 6-3 overall with the victory. His six victories top the Bulldog charts. In five innings, he struck out eight and walked three while allowing only one single. Four Wingate relievers combined to strike out five and walk three. The quartet allowed only two hits and four unearned runs in relief of Somers.

Brevard senior righty Jacob White (Elkin, N.C.) took the loss. In 2 2/3 innings, he gave up eight runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked two. Five Tornado pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and five walks.

Game #2
Wingate 11, Brevard 0

McPherson’s statistics line in game two included an inside-the-park homer and a grand slam, along with a double as he drove in six runs to lead the attack. Senior catcher Taylor Honeycutt (Indian Trail, N.C.) went two-for-three with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Rogers was two-for-three with an RBI and two runs scored, while junior designated hitter Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) added an RBI and run scored for the Bulldogs.

Freshman right-hander Ben Currie (Clemmons, N.C.) was dominant on the mound, allowing only two hits in six innings of work. Junior catcher Zack Merriken (Hudson, N.C.) had Brevard’s lone extra-base hit of the game, a lead-off double down the left field line in the second inning. The two-bagger would be the final hit of the night for the Tornados.

Wingate got on the board in the first, when Rogers led off the frame with a single. McPherson lined one to center, out of the reach of the diving outfielder. The ball would roll all the way to the fence, allowing McPherson to score for an inside-the-park homer.

The Bulldogs added three runs to their lead in the second. After a pair of walks, Honeycutt lined a two-run double down the left field line to make the margin 4-0. Vazquez plated him with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to five. Yeung led off the third with a single, then scored on an RBI groundout from Karr, to make the score 6-0.

The ‘Dogs added four more runs in the fourth. McPherson did all of the damage, hitting a towering blast to right to give the hosts a 10-0 advantage. McPherson has a league-best 15 homers and 72 RBI on the year. McPherson has five grand slams this year and finishes the regular season with a team-best .412 batting average.

Wingate added one more run in the fifth. Karr started the frame with a single, then scored on an RBI single from Rogers to give the Bulldogs an 11-run advantage.

The 11-run bulge would be plenty for Currie, who needed only 68 pitches in his six innings of work. He struck out seven and walked one, allowing a hit in each of the first two innings while improving to 3-5 overall on the year and lowering his season ERA to 2.76. BC junior right-hander Jacob Koontz (Woodleaf, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 0-2 overall. He allowed nine runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking four.

The Bulldogs will be the number two seed in next week’s Food Lion SAC tournament, which will take place at Forest City, N.C. Wingate will face the fifth-seeded Carson-Newman College Eagles Wednesday afternoon.

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)