Aiken, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs trailed 8-3 in the third inning at USC Aiken Wednesday night, but rallied back to tie it with two outs in the ninth, then scored two in the 10th for a thrilling 10-8 victory in NCAA Division II baseball action. Wingate improves to 31-11 overall, while the Pacers fall to 24-14 on the season.
Junior infielder
Tyler Schneider (Richland, Ind.) was three-for-six with a homer and three RBI to lead the Wingate offense. Sophomore infielder
McCann Mellett (Charlotte, N.C.) was two-for-five with two RBI and a run scored, while senior outfielder
Trent Wynn (New Bern, N.C.) went four-for-five with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Senior outfielder
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) piled up four hits, while junior infielder
Zach Little (Troutman, N.C.) added an RBI and a run scored.
Brian Parreira had a homer and three RBI to lead the USC Aiken offense.
Daulton Weeks was three-for-five with an RBI and run scored, while
Brady O'Neil also drove in a run for the Pacers.
USC Aiken jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Parreira's three-run homer.
Wingate had the answer, scoring three times in the second to tie it. Senior infielder
Brett Branton (Asheboro, N.C.) led off the inning with a single, then scored on an
Austin Turgeon (Athens, Ga.) RBI single. Wynn and Andrus followed with single, with a Mellett sacrifice fly and Schneider RBI single tying the game.
USC Aiken responded with five runs in the third. O'Neil started the scoring with an RBI single, while an error allowed two more runs to score. An RBI single from Weeks capped the five-run from to give the Pacers an 8-3 advantage.
Wynn led off the fourth with a double, then scored on a wild pitch. After an Andrus double and Mellett single, Schneider got the 'Dogs within two with a two-run double down the left field line.
There was no more scoring until the eighth, when Schneider led off the frame with his sixth homer of the season, a solo shot to make it 8-7.
Wingate entered the top of the ninth trailing by a run. Pinch-hitter
Aaron Nanney (Gastonia, N.C.) started the frame with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner
Justin Guy (Greensboro, N.C.). A walk put runners at first and second, but a strikeout and popout brought Mellett to the plate with two outs. The sophomore delivered a line drive to center, plating Guy to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
Junior catcher
Micah Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.) ripped a one-out double to left center in the 10th, while a walk and Guy bunt single loaded the bases. Wynn's RBI groundout gave the Bulldogs the lead, while Little followed with an RBI single to make it 10-8. Sophomore right-hander
Alex Rodriguez (Kannapolis, N.C.) slammed the door on the Pacers in the 10th, striking out the final two hitters of the game to clinch the win.
Rodriguez moves to 6-0 on the season. He retired all six batters he faced in his two innings of work, striking out three. Junior right-hander
Nick Stegman (Frederick, Md.) allowed just one earned run in five innings of work in relief, while sophomore right-hander
Josh Karklin (Waxhaw, N.C.) worked a hitless eighth inning with a strikeout.
William Ard took the loss, falling to 1-1. He allowed two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning.
Wingate is back in action Friday, opening a three-game SAC series at Newberry at 6 p.m.
