BOX SCORE

 Forest City, N.C.----A four-run third inning, highlighted by a three-run homer by 2011 SAC Player of the Year Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.), led the Wingate University baseball team to a 7-1 victory over the Catawba College Indians Saturday afternoon at McNair Field in the 2011 Food Lion SAC tournament. The victory gives the Bulldogs the 2011 SAC tournament title, as Wingate went 4-0 in this week’s event.

The Bulldogs improve to 34-20 overall, winning their first SAC tournament title since 1998 and fifth in school history. The victory gives Wingate an automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional tournament, which will take place May 19-23. The pairings will be announced May 16. Wingate will appear in the NCAA play-offs for the first time since 2001. Catawba falls to 39-10 overall on the season; the Indians will await an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.

McPherson was two-for-four with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Wingate attack. Senior outfielder Cale Rogers (Snow Camp, N.C.) added two hits, two RBI and a run scored, while redshirt sophomore infielder James Tedder (Clemmons, N.C.) was two-for-four with an RBI and a run scored. Junior infielder Chris Vazquez (Tyrone, Ga.) had three doubles and a run scored for the Bulldogs.

Catawba was held to only four hits on the afternoon, coming from four different players. The Indians would take the lead in the second when junior shortstop Brett Underwood (Greensboro, N.C.) was hit by a pitch, went to second on a sacrifice, then scored on a Wingate error to make the score 1-0.

The Bulldogs had the emphatic answer, scoring four times in the third. Senior catcher Taylor Honeycutt (Indian Trail, N.C.) got things started with a single, then scored on an RBI single from Rogers. Vazquez followed with a double, putting two runners on for McPherson. He lined a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right field, his second of the tournament and league-best 17th of the season, to make the margin 4-1.

Junior infielder Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) led off the fourth with a double, then scored on an RBI single from Tedder to push the lead to four.

McPherson started the eighth inning with a bunt single, then stole second and went to third on a flyout. He scored on an RBI single from junior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) to make the tally 6-1. The ‘Dogs added one more run in the ninth, when Tedder started things with a single, then scored on an RBI double down the right field line from Rogers to give the Bulldogs a six-run lead heading to the final frame.

Redshirt sophomore right-hander Josh Karr (Richmond, Va.) hit the first batter he faced in the ninth, while getting the next hitter to fly out. The Bulldogs turned a game-ending double play to clinch the title.

Wingate senior left-hander Chris Nelson (Greenville, N.C.) got the win, improving to 6-3 overall on the season. He went five innings on two days rest, allowing an unearned run on one hit, striking out four. He notched a pair of wins in the SAC tournament, earning tournament MVP honors for his efforts. Catawba junior right-hander Joe Kase (Palm Harbor, Fla.) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits in three innings of work.

Joining Nelson on the all-tournament team were Bulldog teammates McPherson, Karr and redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.), along with right-handers Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.) and Cameron Falcon (Durham, N.C.). 

(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

2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Baseball All-Tournament Team
Chris Nelson, Wingate (MVP)
Cameron Falcon, Wingate
Jacob Karr, Wingate
Dodson McPherson, Wingate
Justin Somers, Wingate
Brian Yeung, Wingate
Austin Moyer, Catawba
JJ Jankowski, Catawba
Josh Hohn, Catawba
Chris Dula, Catawba
Mario Rojas, Newberry
Tyler Sturkie, Newberry
Juan Alvarez, Lincoln Memorial
Steven Starbird, Lincoln Memorial
Sean Cotten, Tusculum