Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior outfielder
Tanner Forry (York, Pa.) had two homers and five RBI Tuesday night, leading the 24th-ranked Bulldogs to a 14-6 victory over visiting Limestone College in NCAA Division II baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. Wingate improves to 29-9 overall, while the Saints fall to 14-20 on the season.
Senior designated hitter
Bradley Brown (Rockingham, N.C.) was two-for-four with a double, two RBI and a run scored as both Brown and Forry went over 40 RBI on the year Tuesday night. Senior infielder
Aaron Nanney (Gastonia, N.C.) drove in a pair of runs, while senior outfielder
Ty Andrus (Winston-Salem, N.C.) collected three hits, two stolen bases, two runs scored and an RBI. Senior infielder
Brett Branton (Athens, Ga.) had three hits, an RBI and a run scored, with
Tyler Schneider (Richland, Ind.) and
Micah Goodwin (Rougemont, N.C.) each contributing a hit, RBI and run scored for the Bulldogs. Sophomore infielder
McCann Mellett (Charlotte, N.C.) scored three times on the night.
Chase Allen had a homer and three RBI to lead the Limestone offense.
Channing Painton added a double and two RBI, while
Brandon Banks also had a double and an RBI for the Saints.
Wingate jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. An Andrus single and walk put the first two runners on, with Forry driving home the first run of the night on a grounder up the middle, reaching on an error. Brown followed with a two-run double to right, then scored on Goodwin's RBI single to put the 'Dogs on top by four.
Painton's RBI double in the fourth got Limestone within two. Wingate had the answer in the bottom of the frame when Forry connected on his 13th homer of the season, a two-run shot to right center to make it 6-2.
An RBI double from Banks in the top of the sixth got Limestone back within three. Schneider pushed the lead back to four with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame. Forry followed with a two-run blast to left center to make it 9-3.
Wingate scored five times in the eighth to take an 11-run lead. Nanney's pinch-hit two-run single started the scoring, while Branton followed with an RBI double. RBI singles from Andrus and
Trent Wynn (New Bern, N.C.) made it 14-3. Allen connected on a three-run homer in the top of the ninth to make the final margin 14-6.
Junior right-hander
Nick Stegman (Frederick, Md.) got the win, moving to 4-1. He allowed three runs on four hits in five innings of work, striking out three and walking five.
Riley Edwards (Hickory, N.C.),
Lane Wildman (Virginia Beach, Va.) and
Josh Karklin (Waxhaw, N.C.) each worked a scoreless inning of relief, striking out five while allowing just two hits.
Alex Grooms took the loss, falling to 0-2. He allowed four runs on three hits in one inning of work, striking out one and walking two.
Wingate returns to action Friday, starting a seven-game road trip at Anderson at 6 p.m.
