Mount Olive, N.C.----Mount Olive's Drew Ellis connected on a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning Wednesday afternoon, giving the 17th-ranked Trojans a 10-6 victory over visiting Wingate University in NCAA Division II baseball action. The Bulldogs and Trojans split their two-game series, with Mount Olive improving to 16-5 overall and Wingate falling to 12-9 on the season.

Ellis was three-for-five on the day, driving in five runs to lead the Mount Olive offense. Zach Mozingo and Jason Smith also homered for the Trojans, while Jose Lopez added an RBI for the Trojans.

Junior first baseman Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) had a double, homer and two RBI to lead the Wingate attack. Sophomore outfielder Austin Turgeon (Athens, Ga.) also homered for the Bulldogs, while freshman outfielder Joseph Mason (Morehead City, N.C.) added a double, RBI and run scored. Sophomore catcher Micah Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.) also drove in a run for the Bulldogs.

Wingate took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when junior Aaron Nanney (Gastonia, N.C.) led off the frame with a double, then scored on an error. Mozingo and Smith hit back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the frame to give the Trojans a 2-1 advantage.

The Bulldogs regained the lead with two runs in the fifth. Brown tied the game with an RBI double, while Goodwin's sacrifice fly gave the 'Dogs a 3-2 lead. Mount Olive took the lead back in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of two Wingate errors to take a 4-3 advantage.

Turgeon led off the sixth inning with his second homer of the year, a solo shot to left to make it 4-4. An RBI single from Ellis in the seventh gave Mount Olive a one-run lead.

Wingate tied the game again in the eighth on Mason's two-out RBI double. Another Bulldog error in the bottom of the frame allowed the Trojans to take a 6-5 advantage.

The Bulldogs tied it in the top of the eighth when Brown, the reigning SAC and Region Player of the Week, connected on his eighth homer of the season, a solo shot to center to make it 6-6.

That was the score in the bottom of the 10th, when a double, hit batsman and walk loaded the bases for Ellis. He lined a 1-0 pitch over the fence in right for a grand slam, giving the Trojans the 10-6 victory.

Jesse Schullstrom got the win, working a scoreless 10th inning with two strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Josh Karklin (Waxhaw, N.C.) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings of work. Freshman left-hander Riley Isenhour (Kernersville, N.C.) got the start for Wingate, allowing two earned runs in five innings of work, striking out four.

The Bulldogs are back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series against Mars Hill at 6 p.m.