GAME ONE BOX SCORE          GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Anderson, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs completed a three-game sweep over Anderson University, sweeping a doubleheader over the Trojans in South Atlantic Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon. Wingate won by scores of 12-7 and 13-3 to improve to 27-19 overall and 14-10 in the SAC. Anderson falls to 18-26 overall and 9-15 in the conference.

Game #1
Wingate 12, Anderson (S.C.) 7

Wingate senior catcher Taylor Honeycutt (Indian Trail, N.C.) hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to break a 7-7 tie and give the visitors the lead for good. Bulldog senior right-hander Cameron Falcon (Durham, N.C.) earned the pitching victory with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit relief.

With one out in the five-run Wingate eighth, junior left fielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Junior designated hitter Jacob Karr (Richmond, Va.) singled up the middle to score Allison. He moved to second on an infield single by freshman third baseman Cody Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.). Both runners advanced one base on a wild pitch.

Wingate senior pinch-hitter Brandon Santiago (Monroe, N.C.) contributed an RBI single to left, scoring Karr and moving Shelton to third base. Honeycutt followed with his ninth home run of the season to put the Bulldogs up 10-7.

The Bulldogs added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth. McPherson singled and scored later in the inning on a wild pitch. Karr laced an RBI single to center field, plating Allison (who had reached on a fielder’s choice) to finish the scoring. The Trojans got out of the inning with their third double play of the first game.

Anderson took a 7-5 lead with three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Trojan junior outfielder Ryan Kirkland (Loganville, Ga.) singled to start the inning, but Honeycutt picked him off first base. Freshman utility man Zack Reeves (Greenville, S.C.) reached on a throwing error. Freshman catcher Troy Ambros (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled to right to put runners on the corners. Junior center fielder Jonathan Romano (Fort Mill, S.C.) contributed an RBI infield single to score Reeves.

AU junior shortstop Thomas Prado (Hialeah, Fla.) reached on a fielding error as Ambros scored and runners moved to second and third. Senior second baseman Ryan Saxon (Landrum, S.C.) followed with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Romano and ending the day for Wingate sophomore starter Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.). Falcon entered the game and recorded a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat.

In the Wingate fifth, the Bulldogs plated three runs to take their first lead at 5-4. The big blow was a two-RBI triple by redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.).

Wingate scored twice in the third frame to cut the deficit to 3-2. Yeung had an RBI double in the third inning. Anderson got a run back in the third on an RBI single by sophomore infielder Tony Price (Columbia, S.C.).

Anderson scored twice in the first and once in the second to take an early 3-0 advantage. Sophomore designated hitter Erick Sanderson (Hanahan, S.C.) contributed a solo home run in the first, while Reeves had an RBI single in the second.

Yeung was three-for-four with a double, a triple and three RBI. Karr was three-for-five with two RBI. Honeycutt and Allison had two hits each. Honeycutt had the home run and three RBI, while Allison scored two runs in the opener. Sanderson was three-for-five with the solo home run and one RBI for Anderson. Four AU teammates had two hits each.

Falcon improves to 2-0 overall with his sterling efforts. In his 3 2/3 innings, Falcon struck out four and walked two. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning, getting Ambros to fly out to end the game.

Anderson senior reliever Justin Rogers (Belton, S.C.) took the loss. In 2 1/3 innings, Rogers surrendered five earned runs on eight hits. He left the game after allowing Honeycutt’s home run in the eighth frame.

Game #2
Wingate 13, Anderson (S.C.) 3

Yeung blasted a pair of homers, while adding a double and driving in five runs to lead the Wingate attack in the series finale. Junior outfielder Dodson McPherson (Graham, N.C.) hit for the cycle, going four-for-five while driving in four. Senior outfielder Cale Rogers (Snow Camp, N.C.) went three-for-three with a run scored, while Shelton was two-for-five with an RBI and a run scored.

Junior infielder Blake May (Largo, Fla.) was two-for-three with an RBI to lead the Trojan attack. Sanderson was two-for-three with a run scored, while sophomore catcher Brett Scarberry (Sunrise, Fla.) went two-for-two with a run scored.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead, plating four runs in the first. McPherson got it started with a two-run double, while Yeung followed with a two-run homer to make it 4-0.

Yeung blasted his second homer of the day and team-best 13th homer of the year in the second, a two-run shot to center, to make the score 6-0. An RBI double from redshirt sophomore infielder James Tedder (Clemmons, N.C.) gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead in the third.

After the Trojans cut the deficit to six in the bottom of the third, McPherson led off the fourth with his 12th homer of the year to make the score 8-1. An RBI single from Shelton pushed the Wingate lead to eight. Allison belted a solo homer in the sixth to make it 10-1. The Trojans cut two runs off the margin in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to seven, highlighted by an RBI single from May.

Wingate answered with three runs in the seventh. McPherson ripped an RBI triple to plate the first run of the frame, completing his cycle. Yeung drove him home with an RBI double, while an RBI single from sophomore pinch-hitter Taylor Nelson (Raleigh, N.C.) plated the final run of the day.

Freshman right-hander Ben Currie (Clemmons, N.C.) got the win, notching the first complete game of the year for the Bulldogs. He allowed two earned runs on 10 hits on the day, striking out two to improve to 2-5 overall on the year. Sanderson took the loss, falling to 5-5 overall. He allowed seven runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings of work.

Wingate returns to action Tuesday, hosting Lander University at 7 p.m. The ‘Dogs finish the regular season next weekend, hosting Brevard College for a three-game series, with game one Friday night at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs will honor their 2011 seniors in a pre-game ceremony Friday.

(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.)