Florence, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning Wednesday night en route to a 10-6 victory at Francis Marion University in NCAA Division II baseball action. Wingate improves to 15-6 overall, with a 6-0 mark in non-conference play. The Patriots fall to 11-7 on the season.
Senior outfielder
Thomas Spitz (West Chester, Pa.) had a homer, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Wingate attack. Seniors
Josh Clark (Clemmons, N.C.) and
Brad Cherry (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) drove in two runs apiece, while sophomore infielder
Shane Billings (Kernersville, N.C.) was three-for-five with a double, RBI and two runs scored.
Randy Loew had a double and three RBI to lead the Francis Marion offense.
Conner Wessel went one-for-three with two RBI and a run scored, while
Nicholas McGee also drove in a run for the Patriots.
Wingate jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Billings led off the game with a single, then went to second on a hit batsman. Spitz followed with his league-best eighth homer of the season, a three-run shot to left center. Cherry's RBI single in the top of the third made it 4-0.
FMU had the answer, scoring five runs in the next two innings to take the lead. A Walk and error put two on in the third, while an RBI groundout and Wessel RBI single made it 4-2. McGee added an RBI single to make it a one-run game.
The Patriots took the lead in the fourth on Loew's two-run double to left center, making it 5-4. The Bulldogs tied in the top of the sixth. Junior outfielder
Bill Krebs (West Chester, Pa.) ripped a two-out double to center, then scored on an RBI double from Billings to make it 5-5.
Wingate regained the lead in the seventh inning. Clark drew a one-out walk, then went to second on a hit batsman. After a strikeout, Cherry delivered a two-out, go-ahead RBI single to make it 6-5.
The Bulldogs added four more runs in the eighth. Billings got it started with a single, then stole second and went to third on a groundout. Spitz was then intentionally walked and stole second, putting runners on second and third with two outs for Clark, who ripped a two-run double down the left field line. Freshman designated hitter
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) followed with an RBI double to dead center, while a bases-loaded walk to junior outfielder
Nick Triplett (Shelby, N.C.) made it 10-5.
A pair of walks and a sacrifice fly from Wessel got FMU within four in the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore right-hander
Brandon Donahue (Charlotte, N.C.) then came in to work a 1-2-3 ninth, notching two strikeouts to finish off the Bulldog victory.
Junior right-hander
Tyler Brown (Suffolk, Va.) got the win, moving to 4-2 on the year. He tossed 1 2/3 shutout innings, striking out two without allowing a hit. Freshman right-hander
Brandon Dorsey (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) tossed two shutout innings in relief, while Donahue finished it off in the ninth.
Jeremiah Franklin took the loss, falling to 1-2. He allowed two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking one.
Wingate is back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series at Anderson at 6 p.m.
