Gaffney, S.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-1 lead Tuesday night en route to a 9-5  victory at Limestone College in NCAA Division II baseball action. The 'Dogs win their fourth straight and eighth in their last nine games, improving to 19-9 overall. Limestone falls to 7-20 on the season.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-hit Limestone 11-5
- The Bulldogs committed two of the three errors in the game
- The Saints left six on base; the Bulldogs stranded five
- WU pitchers had 12 strikeouts and three walks; LC had 10 strikeouts and three walks
- The 'Dogs had eight of the 10 extra-base hits in the game including two of the three homers

KEY BULLDOGS

- Jed Bryant had a homer and three RBI to lead the Wingate offense
- Zach Little was two-for-four with a double, triple, two RBI and three runs scored
- Tyler Schneider also homered, scoring a pair of runs
- Logan McNeely went two-for-four with an RBI and run scored
- Tanner Forry added a double and an RBI
- Justin Guy was three-for-five with two runs scored
- McCann Mellett also drove in a run
- Nick Stegman went 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win
- Sawyer Lee, Lane Wildman and Hunter Dula added 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing one hit

FIRST INNING

- Guy led off the game with a single, then stole second
- Little's RBI double drove home Guy to make it 1-0
- Bryant plated Little with a sacrifice fly to give the 'Dogs a two-run cushion

THIRD INNING

- Guy started things off with another single and stolen base
- Little's RBI triple to right center made it 3-1
- Mellett plated Little with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to three
- Schneider's solo blast gave Wingate a 5-1 advantage
- Forry's RBI double put the 'Dogs on top by five

FIFTH INNING

- Schneider ripped a one-out double to left
- He scored on an RBI double from McNeely, making it 7-1
- Limestone scored four times in the bottom of the frame to get within two
- The big blow of the frame was a two-run single from Ryan Creps

NINTH INNING

- Little drew a one-out walk, then stole his nation's-best 23rd base in 23 attempts
- Bryant followed with his league-best 10th homer of the year to make it 9-5

WRAPUP

- Stegman got the win to move to 1-0 on the year
- He allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking two
- Lee struck out one in an inning of work
- Wildman stuck out all four batters he faced on the night
- Dula struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning
- Marcus Johnson took the loss, falling to 1-4
- He allowed six runs on seven hits in three innings, striking out one and walking one

UP NEXT

- Wingate opens a three-game SAC series at Mars Hill Friday at 2 p.m.
- The series wraps up Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon