Box Score  

Savannah, Ga.----The Armstrong Atlantic Pirates scored 11 runs in the first four innings Tuesday night en route to an 11-4 victory over the visiting Bulldogs of Wingate University in NCAA Division II baseball action at Grayson Stadium. Armstrong improves to 12-7 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 15-5 on the season.

R.J. Dennard was three-for-five with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored to lead the Armstrong attack. Tyler Avera went three-for-five with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, while Matt Wisniewski added a pair of RBI for the Pirates. Berry Aldridge and Ryan Patterson each had an RBI and run scored for Armstrong.

Junior infielder Blake Prince (Winter Park, Fla.) went one-for-two with two RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Junior catcher Josh Clark (Clemmons, N.C.) was two-for-three with a double and two runs scored, while sophomore Brandon Wolf (Charlotte, N.C.) and freshman John DeLuca (Bahama, N.C.) added a pair of hits each for the Bulldogs.

The Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Avera got it started with an RBI single, while Dennard followed with an RBI groundout. An RBI double from Aldridge made it 3-0, while a Wingate error allowed the fourth run of the frame to score.

Wingate cut the lead to three with an RBI single from Prince to make it 4-1. An RBI double from Avera in the second made it 5-1, while Dennard's solo homer in the third gave Armstrong a five-run lead.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the fourth to make it 6-3. Prince was hit by a pitch with the bases load to plate the first run, while a sacrifice fly from senior designated hitter Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.) cut the lead to three.

Armstrong had the answer, scoring five times in the bottom of the frame to make it 11-3. Wisniewski had the big hit in the frame, a two-run double to give the Pirates an eight-run advantage.

Freshman outfielder Cameron Price (Indian Trail, N.C.) led off the seventh with a double, then scored on an RBI groundout from senior infielder Matt Barrier (Mt. Pleasant, N.C.) to make it 11-4.  

Justin Adkins got the win, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings of work, striking out five and walking three to improve to 2-0. Sophomore left-hander TJ Rinoski (Yorktown, Va.) took the loss, falling to 0-2. He allowed 10 runs (six earned) on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out three. Senior right-hander Ryne Poplin (Norwood, N.C.) did not allow an earned run in 4 1/3 relief innings in his Wingate debut, striking out five.

The Bulldogs and Pirates meet again Wednesday at 2 p.m.