Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University senior right-hander
Hunter Morgan (Summerfield, N.C.) allowed just one earned run in nine innings of work Friday night, leading the Bulldogs to a 4-2 victory at Newberry College in South Atlantic Conference baseball action. Wingate improves to 32-11 overall and 15-7 in the SAC, while the Wolves fall to 22-19 overall and 11-11 in league play. The 'Dogs are now just one game out of first place with five games left in SAC play.
Senior outfielder
Trent Wynn (New Bern, N.C.) was two-for-three with a homer to lead the Wingate offense. Senior designated hitter
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) also homered, while junior catcher
Micah Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.) added a double and a run scored. Junior infielder
Tyler Schneider (Richland, Ind.) added a hit and an RBI, while classmate
Zach Little (Troutman, N.C.) collected a hit and a run scored for the Bulldogs.
Chase Barbary went two-for-three with an RBI to lead the Newberry offense.
Tommy Passerello added a hit and an RBI, while
Colin Allman was two-for-four with a run scored.
The Wolves got on the board in the second, with a hit, walk and error loading the bases. Barbary started the scoring with an RBI single, while Passerello's RBI groundout made it 2-0.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the fifth to tie it. Goodwin started the frame with a double to right center, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from
Brett Branton (Asheboro, N.C.) and scored on a wild pitch. Wynn followed with his third homer of the season, a solo shot to center to make it 2-2.
Wingate took the lead in the seventh when Brown connected on his 12th homer of the season, a solo shot to right to give the 'Dogs a 3-2 advantage. The three-time all-conference honoree now has 47 homers in his career, moving into fifth all-time in SAC history.
The Bulldogs got an insurance run in the top of the eighth. Little and
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) started the inning with singles, while Schneider's two-out RBI single plated Little to make it 4-2.
That was enough for Morgan, who moves to 5-2 on the season. He allowed one earned run on eight hits, all of which were singles, needing just 92 pitches for his first complete game of the year. He struck out three and walked one, inducing a pair of double plays including the game-ending double play.
Evan Estridge took the loss, falling to 2-6. He allowed four runs on seven hits in seven innings of work, striking out six.
The two teams are back in action, wrapping up the three-game series with a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
