Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs opened the 2017 home slate in style Tuesday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader over visiting Belmont Abbey College in NCAA Division II softball action. Wingate won the opener 6-2, while prevailing 1-0 in the nightcap to improve to 3-1 overall. Belmont Abbey falls to 0-4 on the year.
Game One: Wingate 6, Belmont Abbey 2
Sophomore
Naomi Sapp (Guyton, Ga.) joined freshmen
Mary Claire Coyne (Knoxville, Tenn.),
Jordan Floyd (Wilmington, N.C.) and
Jessica VonCannon (Locust, N.C.) with two hits and an RBI apiece. Senior
Katie McLaurin (Laurinburg, N.C.) added a double, RBI and run scored for the Bulldogs.
Mackenzie Dziendziel went two-for-four with an RBI to lead the Belmont Abbey offense.
Brianna Embler added a hit, RBI and run scored, while
Brooke Pegram also had a hit and a run scored for the Crusaders.
The Wingate offense did all of its damage in the first three innings, starting with a two-run first. Sapp doubled to begin the frame, then scored on Coyne's RBI groundout. McLaurin added a two-out RBI double to make it 2-0.
The Bulldogs took a two-run lead in the second inning. Floyd led off the frame with a double, then moved to third on a VonCannon single and scored on Sapp's RBI groundout.
Belmont Abbey scored twice in the third to cut the lead to one. Embler's RBI double down the leftfield line started the scoring, while Dziendziel added an RBI double to plate Embler, making it 3-2.
The Bulldogs responded with a three-run third. Coyne singled to start the inning, then scored on an error. RBI singles from Floyd and VonCannon gave Wingate a 6-2 cushion.
Freshman right-hander
Aubrey Reep (Eastover, N.C.) got the win, moving to 2-0. She allowed two runs on nine hits in seven innings of work, striking out six and walking one.
Shannon Mas took the loss, falling to 0-1. She allowed six runs on 10 hits in six innings of work, walking three.
Game Two: Wingate 1, Belmont Abbey 0
Sophomore right-hander
Rachel Weidner (Greenville, N.C.) tossed a five-hit shutout it the game two victory. Sapp went three-for-three at the plate, while freshman infielder
Emma Swenson (Matthews, N.C.) was one-for-two with a run scored.
Wingate looked to jump out to an early lead, loading the bases with one out in the first, but a foulout and lineout ended the threat.
The Bulldogs finally got on the board in the fifth, which started with back-to-back singles from Swenson and Sapp. Swenson would come around to score the lone run of the game on a Belmont Abbey error.
The Crusaders looked to tie it in the top of the seventh, putting runners on second and third with one out thanks to a pair of singles. Weidner got a big strikeout for the second out, but a hit batsman loaded the bases. Weidner induced a game-ending popout on a 3-2 pitch, giving the Bulldogs the sweep.
Weidner moves to 1-1 on the year, tossing her fifth career shutout. She struck out five and walked just one, allowing just five singles on the afternoon.
Peyton Wilson took the loss, falling to 0-2. She allowed an unearned run on six hits in six innings of work, without striking out or walking a batter.
Wingate is back in action Saturday, hosting a doubleheader against Mount Olive at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs host Francis Marion Sunday at 1 p.m.
