Wingate, N.C.----The 18th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs picked up a pair of big regional victories Tuesday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader against No. 13 Mount Olive in NCAA Division II baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. Wingate improves to 22-7 overall, while the Trojans fall to 18-8-1 on the season.
Game One: #18 Wingate 9, #13 Mount Olive 3
Junior outfielder
Tanner Forry (York, Pa.) hit a pair of homers and drove in three runs, while senior
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) added a grand slam to lead the Wingate offense in game one. Junior catcher
Andrew Llewellyn (Moseley, Va.) was two-for-four with a homer, while junior infielder
Tyler Schneider (Richland, Ind.) added a hit and an RBI. Senior infielder
Brett Branton (Athens, Ga.) collected two hits and scored twice in game one.
Justin Carroll had a homer and two runs scored to lead the Mount Olive offense.
James Smibert also drove in a run for the Trojans.
Wingate got on the board in the first inning when Forry unloaded on his 11th homer of the season, a two-run shot down the left field line. Carroll cut the lead in half with a solo shot to center in the second inning.
Schneider put the 'Dogs back on top by two with an RBI single in the second inning, while Llewellyn's solo homer to left center in the third made it 4-1. Forry's second homer of the day came in the fifth, a solo shot to right to make it 5-1.
Mount Olive got within two in the sixth, with a Wingate error and Smibert sacrifice fly making it 5-3.
Wingate got four runs in the sixth to blow things open. Branton and Little started the rally with back-to-back one-out singles, while an intentional walk to Forry loaded the bases for Brown. The senior drilled the first pitch over the fence in right, clearing the bases with his ninth homer of the year to make it 9-3.
Junior right-hander
Nick Stegman (Frederick, Md.) got the win, moving to 3-1 on the season. He allowed two earned runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out one and walking seven. Junior right-hander
Lane Wildman (Waxhaw, N.C.) worked 1 2/3 innings for the save, striking out one without allowing a hit to notch his third save of the season.
Zack Burke took the loss, falling to 1-1. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out one and walking two.
Game Two: #18 Wingate 3, #13 Mount Olive 1
Forry went two-for-three with a double, RBI and run scored to lead the offense behind a complete-game effort from sophomore left-hander
Riley Isenhour (Kernersville, N.C.). Brown added a hit and an RBI for the Bulldogs, while junior infielder
Zach Little (Troutman, N.C.) contributed a hit and run scored.
Wingate got on the board in the bottom of the first when Branton reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice, then scored on Forry's RBI double.
The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the third. Little led off the frame with a single, stole second and third, then scored on an error.
The Trojans cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth on a solo homer from
Drew Ellis.
Wingate regained a two-run lead in the fifth. Forry drew a lead-off walk, stole second, then scored when Brown lined an RBI single to right center, making it 3-1.
That was plenty for Isenhour, who moves to 1-1 on the season. The sophomore tossed his first career complete game, allowing a run on six hits while striking out six and walking one.
Reed Parris took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the year. He allowed two runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings of work, striking out six and walking one. Wingate got the win despite leaving 11 runners on base.
The Bulldogs are back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series against Lenoir-Rhyne at 6 p.m. on ESPN3.
