Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore catcher Andrew Llewellyn (Moseley, Va.) hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Bulldogs to an 8-7 NCAA Division II baseball victory over Columbus State University Saturday at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The round-tripper is Llewellyn's first home run of the 2017 season.
 
Wingate improves to 3-7 overall with the victory. The Bulldogs even the three-game series with the CSU Cougars, who fall to 4-5 overall. The two teams will conclude the set Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Wingate Sports Network will provide coverage via its partnership with ESPN3.
 
"It was a great game today and I am proud of how the guys were able to find a way to come out on top," Wingate head baseball coach Jeff Gregory says. "The game was pretty one-sided until late and then it was back and forth the last couple innings."
 
Llewellyn hit a 2-0 pitch to right field, ending the three-hour, four-minute contest. His solo shot made a winner of redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Danny Dunning (Mint Hill, N.C.), who pitched 1 1/3 innings of one-hit ball to grab his first victory of the season. Columbus State sophomore lefty Kolton Ingram (Hampton, Ga.) took the loss to fall to 0-1 overall. Ingram allowed two earned runs on two hits in one inning of work. He struck out two and walked three.
 
"We were able to score a big run in the ninth to tie the game and Dunning was able to put up a scoreless inning which allowed us to keep some momentum into the 10th inning," Gregory says. "Llewellyn was able to get a big hit for us in the bottom half."
 
Wingate scored six runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 3-0 deficit. Redshirt freshman outfielder Joseph Mason (Morehead City, N.C.) started the festivities with a two-RBI triple, his team-best second three-bagger of the season. Mason would tie the game by scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Later in the seventh frame, WU senior third baseman Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.) had an RBI double. Redshirt sophomore pinch hitter Micah Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.) concluded the scoring with a two-RBI double. The Bulldogs sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh inning.
 
Columbus State scored two runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to regain the lead at 7-6. CSU junior third baseman Mason McClellan (McDonough, Ga.) contributed an RBI single, while sophomore second baseman Grant Berry (Marietta, Ga.) knocked in the second run when he hit a wicked line drive off Wingate junior reliever Kory Behenna (Bahama, N.C.).
 
In the top of the ninth, CSU freshman right fielder Miles Cameron (LaGrange, Ga.) hit his first collegiate home run over the right-center field fence to give the visitors the brief 7-6 advantage. Cameron's blast scored senior center fielder Tyler Fichter (Davie, Fla.), who had started the inning by earning a four-pitch walk from Behenna.
 
The Bulldogs had the answer in the bottom of the ninth inning. Mason started the inning with a double off Ingram, who entered the game to start the bottom of the ninth frame. The West Carteret High School product moved to third after Ingram issued back-to-back walks. He scored for the second time Saturday on a wild pitch during the next at-bat. Wingate would re-load the bases when Goodwin walked, but they could not capitalize.
 
Columbus State scored single runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings to take an early lead. Mason McClellan got things started in the second with a solo home run, his fourth home run of the young season. In the fifth frame, junior first baseman Patrick McClellan (Windermere, Fla.) led off the inning with his first home run of the season.
 
The Cougars had the score 3-0 in the sixth inning by scratching across a run with two outs. CSU junior designated hitter Gerrio Rahming (Nassau, Bahamas) was hit by a pitch from Wingate junior starter Hunter Hamilton (Troy, N.C.). Berry followed with a double to left field, plating Rahming with his team's third run of the day.
 
Mason, Barnette and junior center fielder Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) had two hits each for the host Bulldogs. Mason and Goodwin posted two RBI each. Mason McClellan was four-for-five with a home run and two RBI for the visitors. Berry had three hits in five tries with two RBI as well. Cameron matched his teammates with two RBI thanks to his ninth-inning homer.
 
"I thought Hunter Hamilton did an outstanding job on the mound today and kept us in the game until we were able to put together a big inning," Gregory says. "I give a lot of credit to their team as well, they came back after our big inning and put together some solid innings again to take the lead."