Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs swept a doubleheader over visiting Lenoir-Rhyne University Saturday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field, finishing off the three-game sweep of the Bears for the weekend. Wingate improves to 27-17 overall and 11-10 in the SAC, moving into a tie for third in the league standings. LRU falls to 29-16 overall and 9-12 in the conference. Wingate has now won seven of its last eight conference games.
Game One: Wingate 9, Lenoir-Rhyne 4Junior outfielder
Shane Billings (Kernersville, N.C.) was three-for-four with a double and a homer, driving in three runs and scoring twice to lead the Wingate offense. Senior infielder
Tyler Simmons (Charlotte, N.C.) added three hits including a double, driving in two runs and scoring once. Junior infielder
Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.) went two-for-five with an RBI and a run scored, while freshman infielder
Bailey Connell (Waxhaw, N.C.) also had a hit and an RBI for the Bulldogs.
Justin Dean and
Marcus Shoemaker each had an RBI and a run scored to lead the Lenoir-Rhyne offense in game one.
Zack Shoemaker also drove in a run, while
Hank Smitherman went one-for-one with a run scored.
Wingate jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Billings led off the frame with his third homer of the year, a solo shot to left.
The Bears tied it in the second when Marcus Shoemaker scored on Zack Shoemaker's sacrifice fly. Wingate answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, taking a 2-1 lead on a squeeze bunt from freshman
Zach Little (Troutman, N.C.).
The Bulldogs added to their lead in the fourth when Little scored on Connell's RBI single, making it 3-1. Wingate scored three more in the fifth to take a five-run lead. An error and walk put two on for Simmons, who lined a two-run double down the right field line to push the lead to four. A wild pitch allowed another run to score, making it 6-1.
A Marcus Shoemaker RBI groundout in the seventh got the Bears within four. Wingate responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame. An error and a walk put two on for Billings, who lined a two-run double down the left field line to make it 8-2. He would then score on a Barnette RBI single, giving the 'Dogs a seven-run advantage.
LRU scored a run in the eighth and one more in the ninth, with both runs coming home on bases-loaded walks.
Junior right-hander
Brandon Donahue (Charlotte, N.C.) got the win, moving to 6-2. He allowed a run on four hits in six innings of work, striking out one and walking five while lowering his ERA to 2.84 for the year.
Matt Sullivan took the loss, falling to 3-3. He allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings, striking out three and walking three. Senior right-hander
Tyler Brown (Suffolk, Va.) entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth, striking out the only batter he faced to earn his fifth save of the year.
Game Two: Wingate 3, Lenoir-Rhyne 2Freshman catcher
Micah Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.) was one-for-three with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Wingate attack. Connell added a double and an RBI, while Simmons contributed a pair of hits and a run scored for the Bulldogs.
Marcus Shoemaker was one-for-two with an RBI and a run scored to lead the LRU attack, while
Cole Fowler added a double for the Bears.
After three scoreless innings, Lenoir-Rhyne got on the board in the top of the fourth. Marcus Shoemaker drove home the first run with an RBI single, while a Wingate error allowed another run to score, giving the Bears a 2-0 lead.
Wingate did not have a hit through four innings against
Thomas St. Clair, but broke through in the fifth. Simmons started the frame with a double off the fence in right, then moved to third on a single from Little. Simmons and Little would both score when Connell lined a two-run single to center, tying the game. Connell followed with an RBI double down the right field line, giving the 'Dogs a 3-2 advantage.
That would be enough for sophomore right-hander
Hunter Morgan (Summerfield, N.C.). He allowed one earned run on five hits in six innings, striking out eight and walking just one, moving to 2-2 on the year. Brown nailed down his second save of the day and sixth of the year, working a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a strikeout. St. Clair took the loss, falling to 2-3. He allowed three runs on four hits in four innings, striking out five and walking two.
The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday, traveling to Belmont Abbey for a 3 p.m. start. Wingate wraps up the regular season next weekend, hosting Catawba for a three-game series, starting Friday night at 6 p.m.
