Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  

Wingate, N.C.----The Kutztown University Golden Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead in game one Saturday afternoon, then held on for a 8-7 victory over Wingate University in NCAA Division II baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Bulldogs responded with a 6-3 victory in game two, moving to 4-3 on the season. The Golden Bears are 1-1 overall.

Game One: Kutztown 8, Wingate 7

Matt Albaugh and Brandon Hickey each went two-for-four with two RBI to lead the Kutztown attack in game one. Ricky Gorrell was two-for-three with a pair of runs scored, while Kyle Stoudt was three-for-four with an RBI and a run scored.

Redshirt sophomore first baseman Brad Cherry (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) was two-for-three with a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Redshirt senior infielder Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) was three-for-five with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore outfielder Michael Benitez (Miami, Fla.) had a double, RBI and a run scored.

Kutztown got on the board in the second, plating a pair of runs. Albaugh got it started with an RBI single, while an RBI groundout from Brandon Shurr plated Albaugh to make it 2-0.

Albaugh added an RBI single in the third to push the lead to three, while a two-run single from Hickey gave the Golden Bears a 5-0 advantage.

The Bulldogs started chipping away at the lead in the third. Godinez drove home Benitez with an RBI double to make it 5-1. An RBI double from sophomore catcher Josh Clark (Clemmons, N.C.) in the fourth made it a three-run game. Cherry followed with an RBI double, while a sacrifice fly from Benitez made it 5-4. Yeung’s RBI double in the fifth tied the game at five.

The Golden Bears regained the lead in the sixth via Stoudt’s RBI single. Wingate tied it in the seventh when senior Grant McCoury (Canton, Ohio) entered the game as a pinch hitter with two on and two outs.  He delivered an RBI single to tie the game at six.

Kutztown once again had the answer the following frame, taking a 7-6 lead when a run scored on a throwing error following another single from Stoudt. The Bulldogs tied it in the bottom of the eighth when Cherry connected on his first homer of the year, a solo shot to left to make it 7-7.

Kutztown had the answer one more time in the top of the ninth, getting a pair of base runners on via hit batsman. John Dockins came through with the go-ahead RBI single up the middle, making it 8-7.

Jordan Garcia got the win in relief, improving to 1-0. He allowed one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings of work. Connor Wing got the save, working a perfect ninth while striking out two. Freshman right-hander Tyler Brown (Suffolk, Va.) took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. He allowed one earned run on two hits in two innings of work, striking out one.

Game Two­: Wingate 6, Kutztown 3

Junior right-hander Stephen Vaughan (Wilmington, N.C.) struck out nine, getting the seven-inning complete game to lead the Bulldogs past the Golden Bears. Junior outfielder Eric Serra (Miami, Fla.) was two-for-four with a double and three RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Sophomore shortstop Michael Godinez (Cutler Bay, Fla.) was two-for-three with an RBI and a run scored, while sophomore outfielder Thomas Spitz (West Chester, Pa.) had an RBI and a run scored.

Kutztown jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single from Carson Baker.

Serra reached on a one-out double in the bottom of the frame, then scored on a sacrifice fly from Clark. The Golden Bears had the answer, getting an RBI single from Clay Sebesky in the top of the second to make it 2-1. Stoudt added an RBI single to push the lead to two.

The Bulldogs had the answer in the bottom of the second, loading the bases via two walks and a single. Serra delivered the big hit of the frame, a bases-clearing three-run double to put Wingate on top 4-3.

The Bulldogs added a pair of insurance runs in the fourth. Godinez plated the first run of the inning with an RBI single, while Spitz added an RBI single to give the ‘Dogs a 6-3 advantage.

That would be enough for Vaughan, who improves to 1-1 on the season. He threw 111 pitches on the afternoon, allowing three earned runs on nine hits while walking just one. Vaughan threw 78 strikes on the afternoon. Tom Neely took the loss, falling to 0-1. He allowed six runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings, walking four without striking out a batter.

The two teams meet for a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. at Ron Christopher Stadium