Salisbury, N.C.----Wingate University senior right-hander Stacey Houser (Mooresville, N.C.) and freshman right-hander Rachel Weidner (Greenville, N.C.) combined to throw 18 innings allowing just two earned runs Wednesday afternoon as the Bulldogs swept Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference softball action. Wingate won the first game 4-2 in 11 innings, while prevailing 4-1 in game two to finish off the sweep. The Bulldogs improve to 28-14 overall and 13-7 in the SAC, while Catawba falls to 33-12 overall and 17-3 in the conference.

Game One: Wingate 4, Catawba 2 (11 innings)

Junior infielder Katie McLaurin (Laurinburg, N.C.) was four-for-five with two RBI to lead the Wingate attack in game one. Senior catcher Taylor Laskey (Cherryville, N.C.) went two-for-five with a double, two RBI and a run scored, while sophomore outfielder Morgan Hendrix (Mocksville, N.C.) added a hit and a run scored.

Kristen Stinnard and Holli Chandler each had a hit and an RBI to lead the Catawba attack. Carley Tysinger added a pair of hits and a run scored for the Indians.

Catawba took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on Stinnard's RBI double.

The Bulldogs tied it in the fourth. Laskey led off the frame with a single, while pinch-runner Olivia Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) went to second on a wild pitch, then scored on McLaurin's RBI single.

That would be all of the scoring until the 11th. Houser did not allow a Catawba hit in the eighth, ninth or 10th inning.

Hendrix started the 11th inning by reaching on an error, moving Mellena Helms (Concord, N.C.), who was placed on second via International Tiebreaker rule, to third. Laskey followed by lining a two-run double to right center, giving Wingate a 3-1 advantage. McLaurin added an RBI single, plating Laskey to put the 'Dogs on top by four.

Chandler's RBI single in the bottom of the 11th made the final margin 4-2.

Houser got the win, moving to 17-11. She allowed just one earned run on six hits in 11 innings, striking out three without walking a batter. Tysinger took the loss, falling to 26-6. She allowed four runs on 11 hits in 11 innings, striking out 10 without walking a batter.

Game Two: Wingate 4, Catawba 1

Helms had a double, homer and two runs scored to lead the Wingate attack in game two. Senior infielder Emily Usiak (Matthews, N.C.) was three-for-three with a double, homer and two runs scored, while freshman outfielder Naomi Sapp (Guyton, Ga.) added a double and an RBI.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Helms led off the game with a double, then scored on a wild pitch.

Wingate scored two more in the fifth to stretch the lead to three. Usiak led off the frame by connecting on her third homer of the year, a solo shot to left. Helms connected on a solo homer to center later in the inning, her team-best ninth of the year to make it 3-0.

Usiak led off the seventh with a double to left center. Sapp followed with an RBI double to right, making it 4-0. Catawba got on the board in the bottom of the frame when Morgan Brann connected on a solo homer to center, making the final margin 4-1.

Weidner got the win, moving to 11-3. She allowed a run on eight hits in seven innings of work, striking out four and walking one. Tysinger suffered her second loss of the day, falling to 26-7. She allowed four runs on seven hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking one.

The Bulldogs are back in action Saturday, hosting a doubleheader against Anderson at 1 p.m.