Wingate, N.C.----The visiting UNC Pembroke Braves used a pair of four-run innings Tuesday night, prevailing 11-7 over Wingate University in NCAA Division II baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Braves win their eighth straight, improving to 25-7 overall while Wingate falls to 21-13 on the season. The game featured 18 runs in the first four innings and zero runs in the final five frames.
Zade Denton went three-for-five with a double, homer and five RBI to lead the UNC Pembroke offense.
Christian Snider and
Drew Beaver each had a homer and two RBI for the Braves, while
Austin Hill was two-for-three with two runs scored.
Junior outfielder
Bill Krebs (West Chester, Pa.) was two-for-four with a homer and three RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman first baseman
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) added a homer and three RBI, while freshman
Shane Billings (Kernersville, N.C.) also homered for the Bulldogs. Senior outfielder
Thomas Spitz (West Chester, Pa.) went three-for-four with a run scored.
The Braves jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, loading the bases with two singles and a walk. Denton cleared the bases by connecting on his fifth homer of the year, a grand slam to right to put UNCP on top.
Wingate cut into the lead in the bottom of the frame when Billings led off the inning with his fifth homer of the season. An RBI groundout from
Dalton Knight in the second put the Braves back on top by four, but an RBI single from Krebs in the bottom of the inning made it 5-2.
UNC Pembroke took a 7-2 lead on Beaver's two-run homer in the third. Wingate answered in the bottom of the frame when Brown connected on the sixth homer of his freshman season, a two-run shot to right center to cut the lead back to four.
UNC Pembroke plated four more runs in the fourth. An RBI groundout started the scoring, while Denton added an RBI double. Snider's two-run shot made it 11-4.
The Bulldogs again sliced into the lead in the bottom of the frame. Krebs belted his sixth homer of the year to start the scoring, a two-run shot to left to get Wingate within five. Brown added a sacrifice fly to make it 11-7.
That would be all of the scoring.
Alex Britt came out of the UNCP bullpen and retired the first 13 batters he faced. After allowing a single and a double in the eighth, Britt gave way to
Logan Cook, who got out of the jam with a strikeout.
Wingate threatened again in the ninth. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases, sending the tying run to the plate. Sophomore infielder
Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.) lined a 3-2 pitch deep to left center, but UNCP centerfielder
Drew Cole was able to run it down, ending the game.
Britt got the win, moving to 4-1. He tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings, striking out five while allowing just two hits. Cook got the save, allowing two hits in 1 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking one. Junior left-hander
Jordan Newsome (Matthews, N.C.) allowed eight earned runs on seven hits in three innings, striking out three and walking four to fall to 2-1. Freshman left-hander
Kory Behenna (Bahama, N.C.) allowed just one hit in 2 2/3 relief innings, striking out four.
Wingate is back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series at Catawba at 6 p.m.
