Harrogate, Tenn.----The Wingate University Bulldogs opened league play with a doubleheader sweep at Lincoln Memorial University Sunday afternoon in South Atlantic Conference softball action. Wingate won the opener 6-0, while prevailing 7-6 in game two to move to 15-13 overall and 2-0 in the SAC. The Railsplitters fall to 16-9 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Game One: Wingate 6, Lincoln Memorial 0
Freshman
Jessica VonCannon (Locust, N.C.) had a homer, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Wingate attack. Sophomore outfielder
Naomi Sapp (Locust, Ga.) was three-for-four with a triple, RBI and two runs scored, while senior infielder
Misty Doran (Century, Fla.) added two hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs.
Freshman outfielder
Rebekah Woods (Sylvania, Ga.) led off the third inning with a single, then scored on Sapp's RBI triple to make it 1-0. Sapp then scored on an LMU error to make it 2-0, while Doran's RBI groundout made it 3-0.
Woods led off the seventh with a single, then moved to second on a Sapp single. VonCannon followed with her second homer of the season, a three-run shot to left center to make it 6-0.
That would be plenty for sophomore right-hander
Rachel Weidner (Greenville, N.C.), who moved to 6-6 on the year. She tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits while striking out eight and walking just one.
Briana Taylor took the loss, falling to 9-4. She allowed six runs on 13 hits in seven innings, striking out two without walking a batter.
Game Two: Wingate 7, Lincoln Memorial 6
Sophomore
Taylor Wells (Chesterfield, Va.) went two-for-two with a homer and three RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Senior infielder
Katie McLaurin (Laurinburg, N.C.) was two-for-three with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored, while Sapp went three-for-five with an RBI and a run scored.
Wingate plated a pair of runs in the second, with the first run scoring on an LMU error. A Sapp RBI single made it 2-0.
Ty-Kella Goins led off the bottom of the frame with a solo homer to make it 2-1.
Wells gave Wingate a 4-2 advantage in the top of the third with a two-run single. The Bulldogs added to their lead in the fifth. McLaurin connected on her fifth homer of the year, a solo shot to make it 5-2. A solo homer from Wells gave the 'Dogs a 6-2 advantage. McLaurin's RBI single in the sixth gave Wingate a five-run lead.
LMU cut the lead to one in the sixth when
Jacie Pittman connected on a grand slam, making the final margin 7-6.
Weidner notched her second win of the day to move to 7-6 on the year. She allowed five runs on nine hits in five innings, striking out three and walking two. Freshman
Aubrey Reep (Eastover, N.C.) tossed two innings to earn the save, allowing a run on two hits while striking out two.
Justice Smith took the loss, falling to 7-5. She allowed six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking three.
Wingate is back in action Tuesday, traveling to Lenoir-Rhyne for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
