Salisbury, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs started their day with a thrilling 7-6 extra-inning win over Mansfield Saturday morning on day two of the Catawba Invitational. The ‘Dogs followed with a tough 2-1 loss to Kutztown. Wingate finished its day with an 8-3 victory over Lock Haven, improving to 10-6 overall.
 
Wingate 7, Mansfield 6 (nine innings)
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, with the key hits coming from junior outfielder Kelsey Maffucci (Rockledge, Fla.), freshman designated player Betsy Braswell (Rocky Mount, N.C.) and sophomore outfielder Jordyn Setzer (Taylorsville, N.C.).
 
Mansfield got on the board in the second, cutting Wingate’s lead in half. Three more runs in the fifth gave the Mountaineers a 5-4 lead.
 
Trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh, Maffucci got things started with a leadoff triple. After a pair of strikeouts, junior first baseman Brittany Loudermilt (Stony Point, N.C.) delivered a two-out RBI single to tie the game at five.
 
Neither team scored in the eighth, while Mansfield plated a run in the top of the ninth. Wingate answered with two runs in the bottom of the ninth for the win. Maffucci’s second triple of the day drove home the first run, tying it at six. Braswell followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Bulldogs the dramatic walk-off victory.
 
Freshman right-hander Miranda Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.) picked up the win for the Bulldogs.  
 
Kutztown 2, Wingate 1
 
The first four innings went scoreless. Paul worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third.
 
Kutztown finally got on the board in the fifth on a sacrifice fly. That would be all of the scoring until the sixth. Loudermilt ripped a double to center to tie the game at one, plating Braswell.  
 
The Golden Bears had the answer, scoring a run in the top of the seventh and holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the final frame, notching a 2-1 win. Paul took the loss in game two for Wingate.
 
Wingate 8, Lock Haven 3
 
Wingate plated three runs in the first to jump out to a quick lead. An RBI single from Loudermilt plated the first run, while Setzer added an RBI walk. Sophomore outfielder Courtney Barrineau (Monroe, N.C.) capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI single.
 
A two-run single from Braswell put Wingate on top 5-0 in the second. Loudermilt added an RBI double in the fourth to make it 6-0. Maffucci delivered with an RBI single in the fifth to push the advantage to 7-0.
 
Paul notched her second win of the day and third win of the weekend, improving to 8-5 on the season. 

The Bulldogs return to action Monday, hosting Belmont Abbey at 1 p.m.