Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University junior right-hander Mac Callari pitched six innings of three-hit relief Sunday, lifting the Bulldogs to a 6-1 NCAA Division II triumph over the University of Charleston at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. Wingate improves to 6-3 overall on the young season, while the UC Golden Eagles are 2-2 overall.
 
THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH JEFF GREGORY
 
"I thought our guys did a great job of finding a way to win today. We capitalized on some of their mistakes and pushed runs across when we needed to do so. Mac Callari did a great job out of the bullpen to keep it close for us to have an opportunity to win the game. UC is a good team…this is a good series win for us."
 
KEY STATS

- Charleston had seven hits to five safeties for Wingate
- WU baserunners collected five stolen bases
- UC catcher Drew Hefner had the game's only home run
- The Bulldogs had a double and a triple
- Both teams left six runners on base
- WU pitching had 11 strikeouts and only one walk
- The UC pitching staff had seven strikeouts and five walks
- Charleston had three errors, while Wingate had two miscues
- The Golden Eagles turned the game's only double play
 
KEY BULLDOGS

- In six innings of work, Callari had nine strikeouts and no walks
- The 6-4 righty allowed only three hits (three singles) to earn his first career win
- Callari threw 83 pitches with 54 going for strikes
- Five Bulldogs had one RBI each
- Six WU players scored one run each
- Andrew Motsinger had two hits and two stolen bases
- McCann Mellett had an RBI triple
 
SECOND INNING

- Charleston's Hefner homered to right field on the second pitch of the inning
 
FIFTH INNING
 
- Motsinger started the fifth frame with a bunt single
- After stealing second and third, Motsinger scored on a fielder's choice
- Justin Guy got an RBI on the fielder's choice, moving to second on a throwing error
- Guy moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout
 
SIXTH INNING

- Jed Bryant walked and stole second to begin the sixth
- Ricky Clark reached on a fielding error, putting runners on second and third
- Logan McNeely and Hunter Dula followed with back-to-back walks
- Dula's free pass scored Bryant
- Clayton Nestor followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Clark

SEVENTH INNING

- Carson Simpson led off the seventh with a double
- Mellett smoked a triple down the right-field line to score Simpson
- Mellett scored on a wild pitch
 
WRAPUP

- Callari's first career win evens his 2020 record at 1-1 overall
- His nine strikeouts are a career-high
- Callari struck out the side in the sixth and the seventh
- Wingate starter Austin Mitchell worked two innings
- Mitchell threw 26 pitches with 20 for strikes
- He allowed one run on three hits with one strikeout
- Bulldog reliever Josh Karklin worked the ninth inning
- He surrendered one hit and one walk with one strikeout
- UC starter Seth Nightingale (0-1 overall) took the loss
- In 4 1/3 innings, Nightingale allowed two earned runs on three hits
- He struck out four, walked none and hit one Bulldog batter
 
UP NEXT
 
- Wingate hosts Limestone Wednesday at 4 p.m.
- The Bulldogs open South Atlantic Conference play Friday, visiting Newberry
- The two teams will play a single game Friday (6 p.m.) and a twin bill Saturday (1 p.m.)
- Charleston returns home to host Ashland (Ohio) for a Saturday doubleheader