Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University senior right-hander
Hunter Morgan (Summerville, N.C.) tossed his second consecutive complete game Friday night, leading the Bulldogs to an 8-2 victory over visiting Catawba College in South Atlantic Conference baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. Wingate improves to 34-13 overall and 17-8 in the SAC, while the Indians fall to 25-21 overall and 17-8 in league play. The two teams are now tied for first place in the league standings heading to Saturday's doubleheader on the final day of the regular season.
Junior outfielder
Tanner Forry (York, Pa.) hit two homers to lead the Wingate offense, driving in three runs on the night. Senior designated hitter
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) became the fifth player in league history to hit 50 career homers, driving in a pair of runs while sophomore infielder
McCann Mellett (Charlotte, N.C.) also had a homer and two RBI. Junior infielder
Tyler Schneider (Richland, Ind.) was two-for-three with an RBI and two runs scored, while senior outfielder
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) had a pair of hits and a run scored.
Jackson Raper went four-for-four to lead the Catawba offense with a homer and two RBI.
The Indians got on the board in the top of the first, with an error and single putting runners on first and second for Raper, who gave Catawba a 1-0 lead with an RBI single.
Wingate had the immediate response, scoring twice in the bottom of the frame. Schneider ripped a two-out single to left to bring Brown to the plate. The senior crushed a 1-2 pitch to right for his 15th homer of the season and 50th of his career to give the 'Dogs a 2-1 lead.
Andrus led off the third with a single, then scored when Mellett connected on his sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot to right to put Wingate on top by three. Schneider was hit by a pitch, then scored when Forry unloaded on a towering two-run shot to left center, his 15th of the year to make it 6-1.
Raper got Catawba back within four when he led off the fourth inning with a solo shot.
The Bulldogs pushed the lead back to five in the bottom of the frame. Senior infielder Brett Branton (Athens, Ga.) lined a one-out double into the left center gap, then scored on Schneider's RBI single to make it 7-2.
Wingate took an 8-2 lead when Forry led off the fifth inning with his 16th homer of the season, sending one over the scoreboard in left to cap the scoring on the night. The junior has four multi-homer games this season.
That was plenty for Morgan, who improved to 6-2 on the season with his second complete games in as many outings. After allowing the unearned run in the first, he retired the next seven until the Raper homer. He responded by getting five straight outs, then faced the minimum in the sixth and seventh innings before a one-out error in the eighth. Morgan got back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the inning. He gave up a pair of singles in the ninth, but stranded both runners on a game-ending popout.
Morgan threw 131 pitches on the night, striking out six and walking just one while allowing seven hits and an earned run. The senior has thrown 18 innings his last two outings, allowing just one earned run.
Riley Myers took the loss, falling to 2-6. He allowed six runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings, striking out one and walking one.
The two teams are back in action Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Senior Day ceremonies will take place at 2:30 p.m. With a Saturday split, Wingate would share the SAC title, while a sweep would give the 'Dogs an outright championship.
