Box Score  

Forest City, N.C.----In a battle of the regular season SAC co-champions, the top-seeded Catawba College Indians defeated second-seeded Wingate University 1-0 in 12 innings Saturday night on day three of the Food Lion SAC baseball tournament at McNair Field. Catawba hands the Bulldogs their first loss of the tournament, meaning Wingate will have to win two games Sunday. The Indians are 30-18 overall, while the 'Dogs fall to 30-15 on the year.

The Bulldogs will face fifth-seeded Tusculum College Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner of that contest will take on Catawba at 4 p.m. Wingate is 4-0 against the Pioneers this year, including an 8-7 win on day one of the SAC Tournament Thursday.

Wingate took the loss despite a dominant pitching performance from senior right-hander Stephen Vaughan (Wilmington, N.C.). He allowed just five hits in nine innings of work, striking out a career-high 12 without walking a batter, throwing 130 pitches.

Craig Brooks was one-for-five with the lone RBI of the night, coming in the 12th. Paul Kronenfeld and Keaton Hawks had two hits apiece for the Indians.

Freshman infielder Shane Billings (Kernersville, N.C.) was two-for-four to lead the Wingate attack, while junior designated hitter Tyler Simmons (Charlotte, N.C.) also had a pair of hits for the Bulldogs.

Vaughan faced the minimum in the first three innings, working around a one-out single in the third by inducing a double play. Catawba had a single and double in the fourth to put runners on second and third with one out, but Vaughan got of the jam with a strikeout and groundout.

Vaughan retired eight straight until Hawks started the seventh with a single. Vaughan responded with a strikeout, followed by a flyout and another strikeout to end the threat. He added two more strikeouts in the eighth, while the Indians got a one-out single in the ninth from Kronenfeld. Vaughan responded by striking out the next two batters to end his night.

Wingate had a chance in the fifth with two one and two outs, but Catawba starter Matt Farmakis got out of the frame with an inning-ending groundout. The Bulldogs had another chance in the 10th, getting back-to-back two-out walks, but Catawba reliever Ryan McClintock got an inning-ending groundout.

Catawba got the 12th inning started with a one-out infield single from Ethan Satterfield. T.J. Wharton followed with a double off the wall, putting runners at second and third with one out. An intentional walk loaded the bases for Brooks, who lined a 1-1 pitch to right field to plate the winning run.

McClintock got the win, moving to 4-0. The All-SAC reliever allowed two hits in 2 1/3 shutout innings, striking out two. Freshman right-hander Brandon Donahue (Charlotte, N.C.) took the loss, allowing a run on three hits in 2 1/3 innings, striking out five. The Bulldog pitching staff piled up 17 strikeouts Saturday, while walking just one, which was an intentional walk.