Wingate, N.C.----The 25th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs split a doubleheader against Belmont Abbey College Saturday afternoon in NCAA Division II softball action. The Crusaders won the first game 4-2, then took a 10-2 lead in the fourth inning of game two before the Bulldogs responded with 12 straight runs, prevailing 14-10 to salvage the split. Wingate moves to 5-1 on the year, while the Crusaders are 1-3 overall.

Game One: Belmont Abbey 4, #25 Wingate 2

Sloane McPeak went two-for-four with a homer and two RBI to lead the Belmont Abbey offense in game one. Jena Reisanauer went one-for-one with an RBI and a run scored, while Anna Mixa was one-for-two with an RBI for the Crusaders.

Junior infielder Emily Usiak (Matthews, N.C.) went two-for-three with a double and an RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Senior shortstop Alexis Burrell (Chesapeake, Va.) added an RBI, while junior outfielder Jordan Wilson (Gastonia, N.C.) added a double and a run scored.

Belmont Abbey jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when McPeak connected on a two-run homer to left.

Wingate cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame, with freshman Morgan Hendrix (Mocksville, N.C.) drawing a walk and moving to third on an error, then scoring on Burrell's RBI single. Wilson ripped a double to right center to start the second, then scored on Usiak's RBI double to make it 2-2.

That would be all of the scoring until the sixth. After the first two hitters were retired, an Amber Faust single, followed by a Reisenauer RBI double gave the Crusaders the lead. Mixa added an RBI single to make the final margin 4-2.

Samantha Jacobs got the win, moving to 1-1 on the year. She allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings, striking out two and walking five. Junior right-hander Stacey Houser (Mooresville, N.C.) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on nine hits in seven innings, striking out eight.

Game Two: #25 Wingate 14, Belmont Abbey 10

Burrell had two homers and five RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Usiak was two-for-two with a homer and two runs scored, while freshman Mikayla Hannah (Lancaster, S.C.) went three-for-four with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Hendrix and junior catcher Taylor Laskey (Cherryville, N.C.) had two RBI apiece, while junior outfielder Shannen Adams (Ayden, N.C.) went three-for-four with a double, RBI and two runs scored.

McPeak had a homer and five RBI to lead the Belmont Abbey attack. Dani Marietta was two-for-three with two RBI and a run scored, while Mackenzie Dziendziel went one-for-three with an RBI and two runs scored for the Crusaders.

Wingate jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Burrell connected on her second homer of the year, a two-run shot to right center. Belmont Abbey cut the lead in half in the third when a McPeak RBI single made it 2-1.

The Crusaders plated nine runs in the fourth to take a 10-2 lead. Belmont Abbey had five hits in the innings, while drawing five walks to go along with a hit batsman. A Dziendziel RBI single put the Crusaders on top by a run, which was followed by a bases-loaded walk. That was followed by the big blow of the frame, McPeak connecting on a grand slam off the scoreboard in left. A two-run single from Marietta put Belmont Abbey on top by eight.

The Bulldogs had the emphatic answer, scoring nine runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Usiak started it with a towering solo homer to left center, her second of the year. An RBI double from Adams was followed by a two-run single from Hendrix, making it 10-6. After a walk, Burrell lined her second homer of the day and third of the year over the fence in center, a three-run shot that made it 10-9. A Wilson single and Usiak walk put two on base for Hannah, who lined a two-run double to right center to put Wingate on top by a run.

The Bulldogs plated three more runs in the fifth. Singles from Adams and Mellena Helms (Concord, N.C.) were followed by an error to load the bases. Laskey followed with a two-run single, while a Hannah RBI single made it 14-10.

Houser got the win, tossing 3 1/3 shutout innings in relief, striking out three while allowing just two hits, moving to 3-1 on the year. Shannan Mas took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits while walking two without retiring a batter.

Wingate is back in action Wednesday, hosting a doubleheader against Mount Olive at 1 p.m.