Box Score  

Hickory, N.C.----Seven different Bulldogs had multiple hits Wednesday night as Wingate University registered a 17-11 nonconference victory at Lenoir-Rhyne University in NCAA Division II baseball action. The Bulldogs improve to 15-12 overall, while the Bears fall to 9-17 on the season.

Sophomore outfielder Thomas Spitz (West Chester, Pa.) was four-for-five with a double, homer, four RBI and four runs scored to lead the Wingate attack. Redshirt senior infielder Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) had a homer, two RBI and two runs scored, while junior infielder Matt Barrier (Mt. Pleasant, N.C.) went four-for-six with three RBI and a run scored. Freshman infielder Preston Lane (Hartsville, S.C.) added three hits, an RBI and a run scored, while junior outfielder Eric Serra (Miami, Fla.) had a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Sophomores Brad Cherry (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) and Josh Clark (Clemmons, N.C.) each had two hits, two RBI and a run scored for the Bulldogs.

Mike Gasque and Ivan Vieitez drove in two runs each for Lenoir-Rhyne. Rai Robinson added an RBI and two runs scored, while Courtney Crews had an RBI and a run scored for the Bears.

Wingate jumped out to an early lead, plating three runs in the first inning. Spitz drove home the first two runs when he connected on his first homer of the season, a two-run shot to center. Yeung followed with his third homer of the year, a solo shot to right center to make it 3-0.

An RBI double from Lane in the second gave the ‘Dogs a four-run lead. The Bears loaded the bases in the bottom of the second on three walks. Gasque drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first run, while a sacrifice fly from Vieitez made it 4-2.

Wingate answered with five runs in the top of the fourth. Serra plated the first two runs with a two-run double to left center. Sophomore outfielder Michael Benitez (Miami, Fla.) followed with an RBI single, while Spitz ripped an RBI double down the left field line. The fifth run of the inning scored on an LRU error, giving Wingate a 9-2 lead.

The Bears got a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the ‘Dogs plated five more runs in the top of the fifth. Spitz got it started with an RBI single, while a two-run single from Clark made it 12-3. Barrier added a two-run single to give Wingate an 11-run lead.

A sacrifice fly from Yeung in the sixth made it 15-3. Lenoir-Rhyne’s three-run seventh cut the lead to nine. Wingate added two more runs in the top of the ninth. Cherry plated the first run with a sacrifice fly, while Barrier’s RBI single plated the final Wingate run of the night, making it 17-6. The Bears scored five times in the bottom of the frame, making the final margin 17-11.

Senior right-hander Steven Chaffee (Greenville, S.C.) got the win, improving to 1-0. He allowed three runs on just two hits in five innings of work, striking out six while walking seven. Ryan Reedy took the loss, falling to 0-1. He allowed four runs on four hits in two innings of work, striking out two.

The Bulldogs return to action Friday, opening a three-game home SAC series against Carson-Newman at 6 p.m. Wingate and Carson-Newman meet for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne travels to Catawba for a three-game series, starting Friday at 6 p.m.