Florence, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs took game one 5-4 in an NCAA Division II softball doubleheader at Francis Marion University Wednesday afternoon, while the Patriots took game two 4-1. Wingate moves to 10-16 overall, while FMU goes to 13-13 on the season.
Game One: Wingate 5, Francis Marion 4
Sophomore pitcher
Aubrey Reep (Eastover, N.C.) was two-for-four with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Wingate attack. Junior catcher
Taylor Wells (Chesterfield, Va.) was two-for-two with a homer, while freshman outfielder
Gracyn Polk (Concord, N.C.) added two hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs. Senior infielder
Mikayla Hannah (Lancaster, S.C.) contributed a double and an RBI in game one.
Jennie Polak went two-for-three with a double and three RBI to lead the FMU offense in game one.
Shania Domingue added a hit, RBI and run scored, while
Taylor Johnson went three-for-four with a run scored for the Patriots.
Wingate jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second when senior pinch-runner
Meagan Martucci (Huntersville, N.C.) scored on Polk's RBI single. Wells connected on her third homer of the season, a solo shot in the fourth to make it 2-0.
Francis Marion tied it in the bottom of the fourth on Polak's two-run double.
The Bulldogs regained the lead in the fifth when Reep scored on Hannah's RBI double to right center.
Reep gave the 'Dogs a three-run lead in the sixth when she blasted her sixth homer of the year, a two-run shot to center to make it 5-2.
Polak's RBI single in the sixth made it 5-3. The Patriots loaded the bases in the seventh, getting within a run on an RBI single from Domingue, but Reep induced a game-ending flyout to secure the win.
Reep moves to 8-6 on the year. She allowed four earned runs on nine hits in seven innings, striking out three and walking five while throwing 152 pitches.
Sydney Holland took the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking five to fall to 8-8 on the season.
Game Two: Francis Marion 4, Wingate 1
Jaimie Harney was three-for-three with a homer and three RBI to lead the Francis Marion offense in game two.
Jessica Harney added a homer and two runs scored for the Patriots.
Wells went one-for-three with an RBI to lead the Wingate offense in game two. Sophomore infielder
Emma Swenson (Matthews, N.C.) added a double and a run scored, while freshman
Sam Hogan (Albemarle, N.C.) also had a double for the Bulldogs.
Francis Marion jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Jaimie Harney's three-run homer. Jessica Harney's solo shot in the fifth put the Patriots on top by four.
Wingate got on the board in the sixth. Swenson started the rally with a two-out double, then scored on an RBI single from Wells to make the final margin 4-1.
Reece Davis got the win, moving to 5-4. She allowed a run on five hits in seven innings, striking out one and walking two to move to 5-4 on the year. Junior right-hander
Rachel Weidner (Greenville, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 1-4. She allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings of work, striking out four and walking two.
Wingate is back in action next Wednesday, opening conference play at home with a doubleheader against Coker at 2 p.m.
