Kodak, Tenn.----The top-seeded Catawba College Indians scored eight runs in the last three innings Friday afternoon, erasing a two-run deficit to defeat sixth-seeded Wingate University 11-5 on day two of the 2016 South Atlantic Conference baseball tournament. Catawba improves to 32-17 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 29-21 on the season. Both teams are back in action Saturday on day three of the SAC Tournament.

Malachi Hanes was three-for-five with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Catawba attack. Kyle Smith and Jake Kimble each added two hits and two RBI for the Indians, while Will Albertson went three-for-five with an RBI and two runs scored. Zach Almond contributed three hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while Dylan Richardson and Jeremy Simpson each contributed a hit and an RBI.

Freshman infielder Bailey Connell (Waxhaw, N.C.) had a homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Junior infielder Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.) added two hits, two RBI and a run scored, while freshman Andrew Llewellyn (Moseley, Va.) had a double and an RBI for the Bulldogs.

Catawba got on the board in the third when Kimble scored on Luke Setzer's sacrifice fly. Barnette led off the top of the fourth with a single, then scored on an RBI double from Llewellyn to make it 1-1.

The Indians took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the frame on Kimble's two-run double. Wingate responded with two runs in the fifth to tie it. Shane Billings (Kernersville, N.C.) led off the inning with a single, while Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) drew a one-out walk. Both scored on Barnette's two-run single to make it 3-3.

The Bulldogs took their first lead of the day in the top of the sixth when Connell connected on his first career homer, a two-run shot to left to make it 5-3.

Catawba responded with two in the bottom of the inning to tie it, getting an RBI double from Simpson and an RBI single from Richardson.

The Indians regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Smith's RBI double made it 7-5. Almond added an RBI single later in the frame to push the lead to three. Catawba scored three more times in the eighth, starting with an RBI single from Albertson. Hanes followed with a two-run shot to right, making it 11-5.

Avery Bowles got the win in relief, tossing one shutout inning to move to 3-0. Junior right-hander Brandon Donahue (Charlotte, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 6-4. He allowed six runs on 11 hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one.

Wingate is back in action Saturday, facing the loser of Friday's Newberry vs. Carson-Newman game. That elimination contest will take place at 12 p.m. Catawba will face the loser of the Tusculum vs. LMU game Saturday at 3:45 p.m.