Pembroke, N.C.----The UNC Pembroke Braves scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie it, then scored the game-winner in the 10th to claim a 9-8 victory over visiting Wingate University in NCAA Division II baseball action Wednesday night. The Braves improve to 37-12 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 32-22 on the year.
Ben Schmucker and
Drew Beaver drove in two runs each for UNC Pembroke.
Zade Denton went four-for-five with an RBI and two runs scored, while
Dalton Knight added a homer and two runs scored.
Collins Cuthrell had two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Braves.
Senior outfielder
Thomas Spitz (West Chester, Pa.) had a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate attack. SAC Freshman of the Year
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) added a double and two RBI, while senior
Michael Godinez (Cutler Bay, Fla.) was three-for-five with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore infielder
Shane Billings (Kernersville, N.C.) added two RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore
Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.) had two hits, including a double, driving in a run.
Wingate jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Brown plated the first two runs with his 22nd double of the year, driving in Godinez and Spitz to make it 2-0. Barnette followed with a double to push the lead to three.
UNCP answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Knight started things with a solo homer, while an RBI single from Schmucker and RBI groundout from Beaver made it 3-3.
Wingate regained the lead in the fourth. Billings started things with a two-run single, while an RBI single from Godinez made it 6-3.
The Braves cut the lead to two in the bottom of the frame when
Victor Zecca led off the frame with a double, then scored on a wild pitch.
The Bulldogs extended their lead in the seventh inning. After an error to start the frame, Spitz connected on his 17th homer of the year, a two-run shot to right to make it 8-4. The Tino Martinez Award semi-finalist now has 76 RBI on the year.
The Braves cut the lead to two in the bottom of the frame.
Chad Whitehead scored the first run on an error, while Denton's RBI double made it 8-6.
UNC Pembroke scored two more in the bottom of the ninth to tie it. Cuthrell struck out to start the inning, but reached first on an error. He scored on Schmucker's RBI single, while Beaver's RBI groundout tied it at eight.
Drew Cole drew a walk to start the 10th, then went to second on Knight's single. Cole scored on an RBI single from Cuthrell, giving the Braves the win.
Alex Britt got the win, moving to 5-2. He tossed one shutout inning, striking out two and allowing one hit. Sophomore right-hander
Brandon Donahue (Charlotte, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 3-3. He allowed a run on two hits.
Wingate is back in action Friday, opening a three-game series at Erskine at 3 p.m. The Bulldogs close out the regular season Saturday, with a doubleheader at Erskine at 12 p.m. The Bulldogs have earned at automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with their SAC Tournament title. The regionals begin May 14.
