Duncan, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs rallied for a pair of dramatic victories Friday on day one of the Mid-South Classic. Wingate walked-off with a 3-2 win over Bellarmine to start the day, while picking up a 9-6 10-inning victory over Southern Indiana Friday evening. The Bulldogs are now 6-2 on the year.
Wingate 3, Bellarmine 2Senior infielder
Mellena Helms (Concord, N.C.) went two-for-three with a double and a homer to lead the Wingate attack. Freshman outfielder
Naomi Sapp (Guyton, Ga.) added an RBI and a run scored, while sophomore
Morgan Hendrix (Mocksville, N.C.) had the game-winning RBI hit for the Bulldogs.
Wingate took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Helms connected on her second homer of the year, a solo shot to left center.
Bellarmine scored twice in the fifth to take the lead. A walk, single and wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out. The Knights took a 2-1 lead on
Ally Foster's two-run single.
Wingate scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to win it. A walk and a sacrifice put a runner on second, while Sapp's RBI single tied the game. Sapp moved to third on a wild pitch, then scored on the game-winning RBI single from Hendrix.
Senior right-hander
Stacey Houser (Mooresville, N.C.) got the win, moving to 4-0. She allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking three. Foster took the loss, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out nine and walking three.
Wingate 9, Southern Indiana 6 (10 innings)Helms and junior
Misty Doran (Century, Fla.) each had a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate attack, while seniors
Emily Usiak (Matthews, N.C.) and
Jordan Wilson (Gastonia, N.C.) also had two RBI apiece for the Bulldogs. Sapp had a pair of triples and an RBI.
Alex Logan had a homer and three RBI to lead the Southern Indiana attack.
Olivia Clark-Kittleson had a double, triple, RBI and two runs scored, while
Shelby Tate also drove in a run for the Screaming Eagles.
Wingate jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Helms connected on her second homer of the day to start the game, a towering solo shot to left. Hendrix followed with a single, then scored on Usiak's RBI single.
Southern Indiana took a 3-2 lead in the second on Logan's three-run homer to center. Kittleson started the third inning with a double, then scored on an error to make it 4-2.
Wingate cut the lead to one in the fourth when freshman Taylor Wells (Chesterfield, Va.) started the frame with a single, then scored on a Helms RBI single to make it 4-3.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the seventh to regain the lead. Usiak started the rally with a one-out single, while Doran's two-run homer to right center made it 5-4.
Southern Indiana countered with a run in the bottom of the frame to send the contest to extra innings. Kittleson lined a one-out triple to center, then scored on Tate's RBI groundout.
Neither team scored in the eighth inning. Wingate took a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth. Wilson was placed on second base via International Tiebreaker rule. She went to third on a sacrifice, then scored on Usiak's RBI single. The Screaming Eagles answered with a run in the bottom of the frame on Kittleson's RBI single.
The Bulldogs scored three runs in the 10th to take a 9-6 advantage. Sapp put the 'Dogs on top with her RBI triple in the right-center field gap. After a Helms single, Wilson came through with a two-run double to right center to give Wingate a three-run advantage.
Houser picked up her second win of the day and fifth of the year, tossing 7 1/3 innings in relief, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out six.
Courtney Atkisson took the loss, allowing seven runs on 13 hits in 10 innings, striking out four and walking two.
The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday in the Mid-South Classic. Wingate faces Saint Joseph's at 12 p.m., then takes on Armstrong at 4 p.m.
