Dahlonega, Ga.----The Wingate University Bulldogs opened up a challenging six-game weekend with a doubleheader split against #16 Southern Indiana in NCAA Division II softball action Friday afternoon at North Georgia. A Sam Hogan walk-off RBI single in the seventh inning gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 victory in game one, while the Screamin Eagles returned the favor in game two, walking off with an 8-7 victory to earn the split. Wingate moves to 5-3 on the season, while Southern Indian goes to 1-1 overall.

GAME ONE | Wingate 2 #16 Southern Indiana 1

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-hit Southern Indiana 6-5
- The Screamin Eagles had two of the three extra-base hits
- The 'Dogs left eight on base; USI stranded seven
- Southern Indiana committed three of the four errors in game one
- Each pitching staff had seven strikeouts and three walks

KEY BULLDOGS

- Aubrey Reep went two-for-four with an RBI to lead the offense
- Hogan was one-for-three with the game-winning RBI
- Heaven Maness added a hit and a run scored
- Haley Cashwell drew two walks and scored a run
- Alyssa Hall added a pair of hits including a double
- Reep went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run while striking out five
- Sydney Kale earned the win, pitching the final 1 2/3 innings

FIRST INNING

- Wingate got on the board in the bottom of the first
- Maness reached on an error, going to second when Cashwell was caught trying to steal third
- She scored on Reep's RBI single to make it 1-0

SIXTH INNING

- Mackenzie Bedrick reached on a fielder's choice, then moved to second on a single
- She scored on a Goodin RBI double to tie it at one

SEVENTH INNING

- Cashwell drew a leadoff walk, then went to second on a Maness sacrifice bunt
- Hogan ended the game with a two-out, RBI single through the right side

WRAPUP

- Kale got the win, moving to 4-0
- She went 1 2/3 innings without allowing a run on two hits, striking out two
- Goodin took the loss, falling to 0-1
- She allowed two runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking three

GAME TWO | #16 Southern Indiana 8 Wingate 7

KEY STATS

- The Bulldogs out-hit the Screamin Eagles 11-9
- Southern Indiana had four of the seven extra-base hits
- The 'Dogs left nine on base; USI stranded three
- Wingate committed four of the six errors in game two
- The Bulldogs had the lone stolen base of the game
- USI had seven strikeouts and three walks; WU had three strikeouts and a walk

KEY BULLDOGS

- Maness went two-for-four with an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base
- Reep was two-for-three with a double, RBI and run scored
- Raelynn Kramer collected two hits and an RBI
- Sara Stroud had two hits including a double, scoring a run and driving a run in
- Hogan added a double and an RBI
- Cashwell, Hall and Gracyn Polk each scored a run

FIRST INNING

- The Bulldogs scored in each of the first four frames
- Maness started it with a one-out single, then stole second
- She scored on Hogan's RBI double

SECOND INNING

- Hall drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second on a Laney McLaurin single
- Stroud's RBI double plated Hall to make it 2-0
- Goodin's RBI single in the bottom of the frame cut the lead in half

THIRD INNING

- The 'Dogs regained a two-run lead in the top of the third
- Reep started the frame with a double
- She scored on Kramer's RBI single to make it 3-1
- An RBI triple from Rachel Martinez in the bottom of the frame pulled USI back within a run
- Alicia Webb followed with a sacrifice fly to tie it at three

FOURTH INNING

- Wingate scored four times in the fourth
- Polk and Stroud started the frame with singles
- Cashwell laid down a sacrifice bunt, with Polk scoring on an error on the play
- An RBI single from Maness put the 'Dogs on top by two
- Reep's RBI single drove home Cashwell
- Another Southern Indiana error allowed Maness to score, making it 7-3

FIFTH INNING

- The Screamin Eagles scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to tie it
- Webb's RBI single got the scoring started
- A Wingate error allowed the second run of the inning to score
- Jordan Rager's two-run double tied it at seven

SEVENTH INNING

- A Kramer single and two walks loaded the bases for the 'Dogs in the top of the frame
- A popout ended the threat
- Sammie Kihega started the USI rally with a two-out double in the bottom of the frame
- The Screamin Eagles won the game on a Wingate throwing error

WRAPUP

- Goodin got the win, moving to 1-1
- She recorded the final batter in the top of the seventh
- Kaitlyn Knuckles took the loss, falling to 0-1
- She allowed two unearned runs on two hits in 2 1/3 innings, striking out two

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Saturday, traveling to Young Harris for a doubleheader
- Game one between the Bulldogs and fifth-ranked Mountain Lions starts at 12 p.m.
- WU wraps up the weekend Sunday at #2 North Georgia