Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  

Belmont, N.C.----Wingate University junior infielder Hayley Whitley (Monroe, N.C.) drove in five runs Monday afternoon, while freshman right-hander Stacey Houser (Mooresville, N.C.) and sophomore right-hander Miranda Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.) limited Belmont Abbey to three hits in 14 innings of work, leading the Bulldogs to a sweep in an NCAA Division II softball doubleheader. Wingate won both games by identical 3-0 scores, improving to 20-17-1 overall. The Crusaders fall to 8-21 on the season.

Game One: Wingate 3, Belmont Abbey 0

Whitley went three-for-four with two RBI to lead the Wingate offense in game one. Senior outfielder Kelsey Maffucci (Rockledge, Fla.) drew four walks, scoring a pair of runs, while sophomore designated player Kayla Saliga (Asheboro, N.C.) was two-for-four with an RBI for the Bulldogs.

Wingate jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Maffucci led off the game with a walk, then went to second on a sacrifice. She scored on Whitley’s RBI single.

Maffucci drew a one-out walk in the third, then went to third on a double from freshman outfielder Shannen Adams (Ayden, N.C.). Another RBI single from Whitley made it 2-0.

An RBI single from Saliga in the fourth pushed the lead to three, plating junior Kaity Schultz (Pittsfield, Ill.), who pinch ran for freshman catcher Taylor Laskey (Cherryville, N.C.) after a leadoff single.

That would be plenty for Houser. She allowed just one hit on the day, a leadoff single in the fifth. Houser struck out seven while walking two, improving to 13-9 on the year. She has 20 complete games this season and five shutouts. Samantha Jacobs took the loss for Belmont Abbey, falling to 4-8. She allowed three runs on nine hits in seven innings of work, striking out five and walking five.

Game Two: Wingate 3, Belmont Abbey 0

Whitley was two-for-three to once again lead the Bulldog offense in game two, driving in all three Wingate runs. Maffucci, Adams and senior first baseman Brittany Loudermilt (Stony Point, N.C.) added two hits each for the Bulldogs.

Wingate once again got out to an early lead, plating two runs in the first. Maffucci and Adams started the game with back-to-back singles, then moved to second and third on a sacrifice from Loudermilt. Whitley’s two-run single to right put the ‘Dogs on the board.

Adams beat out a one-out infield single in the third, then went to second on Loudermilt’s single. Whitley drove home Adams with an RBI single through the right side to make it 3-0.

Paul got the win, improving to 7-8 on the year. She allowed just two hits in seven innings of work, striking out two and walking two. Paul needed only 78 pitches to register her 13th complete game and fourth shutout of the season. Catelyn Pressley took the loss, falling to 4-6. She allowed three runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings of work.

Wingate returns to action Wednesday, hosting a doubleheader against Brevard at 2 p.m.