Harrogate, Tenn.----The 20th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs piled up 35 hits Saturday afternoon, splitting a conference-opening doubleheader at Lincoln Memorial University in South Atlantic Conference softball action. Wingate won the opener 11-9, while LMU scored three times in the seventh inning of game two, rallying for an 11-10 victory. The 'Dogs move to 18-8 overall and 1-1 in the SAC, while LMU goes to 23-5 overall and 1-1 in league play.

GAME ONE | #20 Wingate 10 Lincoln Memorial 9

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-hit LMU 18-13 with six extra-base hits including three homers
- LMU also had six extra-base hits and three homers in game one
- The Bulldogs left 12 on base; Lincoln Memorial stranded five
- LMU committed the only two errors of the game
- Wingate pitchers had five strikeouts and one walk; LMU had four strikeouts and four walks

KEY BULLDOGS

- Taylor Wells was three-for-five with a homer and four RBI to lead the Wingate offense
- Mary Claire Coyne also homered, driving in two runs and scoring twice
- Aubrey Reep went three-for-four with a homer and three runs scored
- Emma Swenson added a double, three RBI and two runs scored
- Haley Cashwell and Naomi Sapp each added two hits and a run scored
- Jordan Floyd collected three hits for the Bulldogs

THIRD INNING

- LMU scored a run in the first, but Wingate took the lead with a five-run third
- Coyne's two-run homer put the 'Dogs on top 2-1
- Reep and Alexa Sells followed with singles, while a Sammi Jo Loney sacrifice fly made it 3-1
- Wells followed with a two-run double to put Wingate on top by four
- The Railsplitters scored five times in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead
- Kelsie Hocutt provided the big blow of the inning, a three-run homer to make it 6-5

FOURTH INNING

- Sapp and Coyne started the frame with singles, while a walk loaded the bases
- Swenson put Wingate back on top with a three-run double
- She scored on an RBI single from Wells to give the Bulldogs a 9-6 advantage
- LMU again had the answer, tying it on a three-run shot from McKenzie Henry in the bottom of the frame

SIXTH INNING

- Wells put Wingate back on top with a solo homer in the sixth to make it 10-9

SEVENTH INNING

- Reep led off the seventh inning with a solo shot to give the 'Dogs a two-run cushion

WRAPUP

- Reep got the win, moving to 8-2
- She tossed two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two while allowing just one hit
- Bailey Griffith took the loss, falling to 9-3
- She allowed six runs on 11 hits in five innings, striking out four and walking three

GAME TWO | Lincoln Memorial 11 #20 Wingate 10

KEY STATS

- The 'Dogs out-hit the Railsplitters 17-15 in game two
- Wingate piled up seven extra-base hits including two homers; LMU had three extra-base hits
- The Bulldogs left 10 on base while Lincoln Memorial stranded six
- Each team committed two errors
- WU pitching struck out seven and walked four; LMU had four strikeouts and two walks

KEY BULLDOGS

- Coyne went three-for-three with a homer and four RBI
- Reep was three-for-four with a double, two RBI and a run scored
- Loney added two hits including a triple, driving in two runs
- Floyd was two-for-four with a double, homer and two runs scored
- Sapp wen three-for-three with three runs scored; Cashwell added a pair of doubles
- Swenson contributed an RBI and a run scored

FIRST INNING

- Cashwell led off the game with a double, then scored on Coyne's sacrifice fly
- Swenson's RBI single plated Reep to give Wingate a 2-0 lead
- Loney's two-run triple capped the scoring in the frame, giving the Bulldogs a four-run advantage

SECOND INNING

- Sapp reached on a one-out single in the second
- Coyne followed with a two-run blast to make it 6-0
- RBI singles from Grace Cochran and Jacie Pittman in the bottom of the frame cut the lead in half

FOURTH INNING

- Floyd led off the top of the fourth with a solo homer to make it 7-3
- Reep's RBI single later in the frame plated Sapp to put Wingate on top by five

FIFTH INNING

- Cochran and Pittman added two more RBI singles to get LMU within two runs in the fifth

SIXTH INNING

- Sapp drew a leadoff walk, then scored on another Reep RBI single to make it 9-6
- Hocutt's two-run homer in the bottom of the frame got LMU within a run

SEVENTH INNING

- Floyd led off the frame with a double, then scored when Coyne was hit by a pitch to make it 10-8
- Three straight singles loaded the bases for LMU in the bottom of the frame with one out
- Ty-Kella Goins tied it with a two-run single
- Henry drew a bases-loaded walk to give Lincoln Memorial the walk-off win

WRAPUP

- Griffith got the win, moving to 10-3 on the year
- She allowed a run on three hits in an inning of work
- Reep took the loss, falling to 8-3
- She allowed eight earned runs in 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walking four

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Tuesday, hosting Newberry in a SAC doubleheader at 2 p.m.