Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs raced out to a 12-0 lead Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 17-3 victory over visiting Mars Hill University in South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse action at Graham Gill Field. Wingate improves to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the SAC, while the Lions fall to 1-6 overall and 0-5 in league play. The 'Dogs are 5-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 90-38. Wingate has won its last two games by a combined score of 39-3.

KEY STATS
 
- Wingate out-shot Mars Hill 29-7
- The 'Dogs won 18 of 22 draw controls
- The Lions committed 18 of the 33 turnovers
- The Bulldogs caused six turnovers on the afternoon
- Wingate collected 14 of the 27 ground balls
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Leah Knowles had four goals, six draw controls and an assist
- Annie Plotts and Kendall Wells had three goals each, with Plotts adding three draw controls and an assist
- Kayleigh Hiles and Paige Kamer added a goal and four assists each
- Morgan Akers and Becca Ruiz each had two goals; Ruiz added an assist
- Emily Blakely and Nina Cifolilli had a goal apiece
- Megan Biase and Peyton Hall each registered one save
 
FIRST HALF
 
- Knowles scored the first goal just 14 seconds in
- Wells and Knowles added goals in the next two minutes to make it 3-0
- Knowles netted her third goal of the day at the 26:36 mark to push the lead to four
- Back-to-back Plotts goals pushed the lead to six with 23 minutes to go
- Goals from Kamer, Akers and Ruiz made it 9-0 just under 10 minutes in
- Cifolilli scored Wingate's 10th goal with 18:25 left in the half
- Blakeley scored a minute later to push the lead to 11
- A Wells goal with 14:38 to go made it 12-0
- Mars Hill got on the board with 11 minutes left, but a Ruiz goal in the last minute made it 12-1


SECOND HALF
 
- Knowles scored the first goal of the half just over two minutes in 
- An Akers goal, assisted by Kyra Bailey extended the Bulldog lead to 15-1
- Mars Hill's Sydney Joyce scored with 11:56 to go, making the score 15-2
- Wingate scored two more goals in the final nine minutes, getting a Plotts goal with 8:40 to go
- Wells capped the scoring with 6:40 remaining, scoring off a Kamer assist to make it 17-3

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Wednesday, traveling to Catawba for a 4 p.m. start