GAME ONE BOX       GAME TWO BOX

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University softball team fought back with an impressive 8-3 win in game two after dropping the first game to split a doubleheader with the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears Wednesday afternoon at the WU Softball Complex. The Bulldogs move to 19-15 on the year and 3-3 in the South Atlantic Conference, while the Bears are now 29-10 overall and 5-3 in SAC play.

Game #1
Lenoir-Rhyne 2, Wingate 0

LRU senior pitcher Dawon Millwood (Hixson, Tenn.) hurled a one-hitter, picking up her eight shutout of the season to lead the Bears to the game one victory. The game was scoreless through three innings, but the Bears picked up a solo run on Marie Mauhar’s (Mills River, N.C.) RBI double in the fourth.

The Bears would add insurance in the top of the seventh on a Wingate error. Freshman Miranda Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.) took the tough loss, tossing her 16th complete game of the season. Paul fell to 14-14 overall, allowing two runs (one earned), while striking out four. Classmate Betsy Braswell (Rocky Mount, N.C.) had the lone hit for Wingate. Millwood struck out two to improve to 18-4 overall.

Game #2
Wingate 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 3

The Bulldogs came alive in game two, with eight runs on nine hits to earn the split. Junior infielder Brittany Loudermilt (Stony Point, N.C.) gave Wingate the lead in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer down the left field line off Millwood. Lenior-Rhyne cut the lead in half in the third on a sacrifice fly from senior infielder Carlee Carpenter (Newton, N.C.). The Bears would tie it in the fourth on a solo shot from junior infielder Jessica Fellmeth (Waxhaw, N.C.).

Wingate answered emphatically in the next three innings with six runs to blow the game open. In the fourth, Wingate senior utility player Joya Wortham (Creedmoor, N.C.) singled to shortstop to load the bases with one out. Freshman infielder Brittany Owens (Greenville, N.C.) followed with a fielder’s choice RBI to give Wingate the lead at 3-2. The ‘Dogs added another run two batters later on an RBI walk after a great at bat from freshman infielder Alexis Burrell (Chesapeake, Va.).

In the fifth, the Bulldogs had two on with two outs looking for insurance runs. The lone senior on the team, Wortham delivered with her first career home run to left field. The three-run blast gave Wingate a 7-2 lead after five innings. Braswell drove in Burrell with a double in the sixth to finish the scoring for the Bulldogs.

Paul would give up another run in the seventh, but finished off the Bears to cap a solid pitching performance. The Virginia Beach native threw 198 pitches overall on the day and improved to 15-14 overall after the game two win. Millwood took the loss, allowing seven earned in five innings of work to fall to 18-5 overall.

Braswell, Loudermilt, and Wortham all had two hits to lead the Wingate offense. Burrell reached base all four plate appearances, scoring two runs. Sophomore infielder Jody Mizelle (Colerain, N.C.) had three hits in game two, while Fellmeth drove in two runs for Lenoir-Rhyne.

The Bulldogs return to the field Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., hosting SAC rival Newberry College. Lenoir-Rhyne continues its road trip, traveling to Carson-Newman on Saturday, also at 1 p.m.