BOX SCORE

Forest City, N.C.----Wingate University junior designated hitter Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) belted an 0-1 pitch off the wall in left field with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning, plating junior infielder Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) to give the Bulldogs a thrilling 8-7 victory over Newberry College Friday afternoon on day three of the 2011 Food Lion SAC baseball tournament at McNair Field.

Wingate improves to 33-20 overall. The Bulldogs advance to play on the final day of the tournament. Newberry falls to 24-26 overall. The Wolves will play later Friday night. Wingate is the only undefeated team remaining in the Food Lion SAC tournament; they will need one win Saturday to take the 2011 title.

Redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) was two-for-five with a homer and four RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Senior outfielder Cale Rogers (Snow Camp, N.C.) drove in a pair of runs for the Bulldogs. Karr was two-for-five with a double and an RBI, while freshman infielder Cody Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.) had two hits and a run scored.

Freshman first baseman Evan Darr (North Augusta, S.C.) was two-for-six with three RBI to lead the Newberry offense. Junior outfielder Kevin Rufus (Andrews, S.C.) had three hits and a run scored. Senior outfielder Sanchez Gartman (Newberry, S.C.) had two hits and two runs scored for the Wolves, while sophomore infielder Andy Vogel (Marietta, Ga.) had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.

The Wolves jumped out to a quick start, plating three runs in the top of the first. Vogel got things started with an RBI single, while a two-run single from Darr made the score 3-0.

The Bulldogs had the immediate response, scoring three runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Vazquez walked, while junior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) followed with a single. Yeung crushed the first pitch of his at-bat over the wall in left to tie the game at three, his second homer of the tournament and 16th of the year.

Newberry regained the lead in the second on an RBI squeeze bunt from junior infielder John Fogarile (New York, N.Y.) to make it 4-3. Wingate answered in the fourth, scoring three more runs to take the lead for the first time. With runners at first and third, redshirt sophomore infielder James Tedder (Clemmons, N.C.) laid down a squeeze bunt to plate the run from third, tying the contest at four. Rogers added a two-run single to center to give the Bulldogs a 6-4 edge.

McPherson started the fifth with a single, then scored on an RBI double from Yeung to push the margin to 7-4. The Wolves took a run off the lead in the sixth, scoring on a balk to pull within two at 7-5.

Wingate had a two-run lead in the ninth inning, but the Wolves plated a pair of runs to send the game to extras. Newberry started the inning with back-to-back singles, while a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. A sacrifice fly made the score 7-6, leaving the tying run at second with two outs. Darr followed, lining a 2-2 pitch to left, plating Gartman from second and tying the game at 7-7.

The contest would remain tied until the 12th. Senior right-hander Cameron Falcon (Durham, N.C.) shut down the Wolves in the three extra innings. Newberry went in order in the 10th. The Wolves got two runners on in the 11th, but Falcon got out of the jam by striking out Darr looking. Falcon worked around a two-out walk in the 12th, inducing an inning-ending groundout to bring the ‘Dogs to the plate in the bottom half of the inning.

Vazquez led off the frame with a single up the middle; he took second when junior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) was hit by a pitch. Karr took a first pitch strike and ripped the next offering off the middle of the 25-foot wall in left field, plating Vazquez from second for the victory.

Falcon improves to 2-0 overall on the year, allowing three hits in four innings of work, while striking out two. The senior has a win and a save in the Food Lion SAC tournament. Sophomore right-hander  DJ Hearsey (Oviedo, Fla.) took the tough loss, falling to 1-2 overall. He allowed one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings of work in relief, striking out five and walking one.

(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.)

Wingate University baseball statistics
http://www.wingatebulldogs.com/custompages/baseball/2011/teamstat.htm