Pembroke, N.C.----The UNC Pembroke Braves hit a pair of home runs in the third inning Wednesday night en route to a 7-3 victory over visiting Wingate University in NCAA Division II baseball action. The Braves improve to 20-7 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 13-16 on the season.
Ethan Baucom hit a pair of homers to lead the UNCP attack, driving in four runs.
Nick Debo also homered for the Braves, driving in a two runs while
Roberto Rivera scored a pair of runs on the night.
Sophomore infielder
Zach Little (Troutman, N.C.) went five-for-five with a double, RBI and run scored to lead the Wingate offense. Junior outfielder
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) was four-for-four with a run scored, while senior infielder
Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.) added two hits and an RBI. Sophomore catcher
Andrew Llewellyn (Moseley, Va.) also drove in a run for the Bulldogs.
Rivera drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, then scored on a wild pitch to get the Braves on the board.
UNC Pembroke scored five runs with two outs in the third. Debo's two-run homer made it 3-0, while a three-run shot from Baucom put the Braves on top by six.
Sophomore outfielder
Austin Turgeon (Athens, Ga.) led off the fifth with a double, then scored on Little's RBI single to make it 6-1.
Wingate scored two more runs in the eighth to cut the lead to three. Andrus started the frame with a single, then moved to third on Little's double. Llewellyn's sacrifice fly plated Andrus, while Barnette's RBI single made it 6-3.
Baucom connected on a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth to make the final margin 7-3.
Jesse Stinnett got the win, moving to 3-3 on the year. He allowed a run on eight hits in seven innings of work, striking out six. Redshirt sophomore right-hander
Jimmy Doolittle (Charlotte, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 0-1. He allowed three runs on one hit in 2 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking two. Freshman right-hander
Josh Karklin (Waxhaw, N.C.) worked 4 1/3 shutout innings out of the Wingate bullpen, striking out three while allowing just one hit.
The Bulldogs are back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series at Coker at 3 p.m.