Savannah, Ga.----The 25th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs opened the 2015 season in style, sweeping a doubleheader against the eighth-ranked Armstrong State Pirates in NCAA Division II softball action Sunday afternoon. Wingate won the first game 9-0 in six innings, while winning game two 6-3 to complete the sweep, moving to 2-0 on the year. The defending NCAA Southeast Region champion Pirates start the season 0-2 overall.

"I'm very proud of how the team played today," head coach Lani Shaffer says. "Everyone up and down the lineup contributed, along with the whole pitching staff in getting us both wins today."
Game One: #25 Wingate 9, #8 Armstrong 0 (6 innings)

Senior shortstop Alexis Burrell (Chesapeake, Va.) was two-for-three with a double, three RBI and a run scored to lead the Wingate attack. Junior outfielder Jordan Wilson (Gastonia, N.C.) went three-for-four with two RBI and a run scored, while sophomore infielder Misty Doran (Century, Fla.) added a double, homer and two RBI. Junior infielder Mellena Helms (Concord, N.C.) had two hits including a homer for the Bulldogs.

Alexis Mercer was two-for-two to lead the Armstrong attack. Six different Pirates had one hit each in game one.

Wingate got on the board in the third inning, when Doran connected on her first homer as a Bulldog in her first career at-bat, a solo shot to right center. Junior Shannen Adams (Ayden, N.C.) followed with a double, while a pair of walks would load the bases with two outs for Burrell. The preseason All-SAC selection cleared the bases with a two-run double to right center, with an error on the play making it 4-0.  

The Bulldogs added a pair of runs in the fifth. After junior catcher Taylor Laskey (Cherryville, N.C.) drew a lead-off walk, Wilson put the 'Dog on top by five with an RBI single. Doran followed with an RBI double to plate Wilson, making it 6-0.

Helms led off the sixth inning with a solo homer to left center. The preseason first team All-SAC selection had a team-best 11 homers last season. Burrell added an RBI single later in the inning, then scored on another RBI single from Wilson to make it 9-0.

That would be plenty for junior right-hander Stacey Houser (Mooresville, N.C.), who picked up her 51st career win. She allowed eight hits in game one, all of which were singles, striking out one while walking three. The All-SAC and All-Region selection from 2014 did not work a 1-2-3 inning throughout game one, but was able to keep the Pirates off the board, stranding 11 base runners, leaving the bases loaded twice on the day. Olivia McLemore took the loss, allowing nine runs on 12 hits in six innings of work, striking out two and walking six.

Game Two: #25 Wingate 6, #8 Armstrong 3

Junior infielder Emily Usiak (Matthews, N.C.) went three-for-three with a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman first baseman Mikayla Hannah (Lancaster, S.C.) had a homer and two RBI, while classmate Morgan Hendryx (Mocksville, N.C.) had two hits and an RBI.

Autumn Parrish was two-for-four with a homer and two RBI to lead the Armstrong attack. Michelle Breen added two hits and an RBI, while Jane Trzaska had a hit and an RBI for the Pirates.

Armstrong jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Trzaska RBI single in the bottom of the first.

Wingate had the answer, scoring twice in the third inning to take the lead. Usiak singled to start the inning, then went to third on a Helms single. She scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, while an RBI groundout from Laskey put the Bulldogs on top.

Singles from Doran, Usiak and Adams loaded the bases with one out in the fourth. An RBI single from Hendryx made it 3-1.

Hannah connected on a solo homer to left center in the fifth, the first homer of her career to make it 4-1. Usiak followed with a two-run shot to center to push the lead to five. It was the first career homer for the junior.

Parrish connected on a two-run homer in the fifth to make it 6-3.

Wingate used all three pitchers in game two. Doran got the start, allowing a run on five hits in three innings. Senior right-hander Miranda Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.) allowed two runs on three hits in three innings of work to pick up the win. Houser tossed a scoreless seventh to earn the save, leaving the bases loaded. Trzaska took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the year. She allowed six runs on 11 hits in seven innings of work.

Wingate is back in action Thursday, traveling to Erskine for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.