Video: Bryant's 1st homer | Video: Mellett's 3rd RBI of the game | Video: Simpson 3-run triple
Video: Bryant's 2nd homer | Video: Final out | Video: Trophy presentation
 
Kodak, Tenn.----The fourth-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs won their third game in two days Monday evening, rolling to a 13-4 victory over third-seeded Newberry College to claim the 2021 South Atlantic Conference tournament title. Wingate improves to 30-12 overall, earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Wolves fall to 25-15 on the season.

THOUGHTS FROM JEFF GREGORY

"I'm super proud of the team and the coaching staff for a great effort all week. It was such a tremendous team effort, we had so many guys step up all weekend. We pitched it well, swung it well, played solid defensively and had so many clutch hits. We had to beat a lot of really good teams to finish it off and we got it done. I'm so excited for the guys."  

NOTES

- Seventh SAC Tournament title for the Bulldogs
- Third of the last 10 years, adding this to the 2011 and 2015 championships
- Wingate won while facing elimination three straight times
- The 'Dogs defeated top-seeded Catawba Sunday to advance to Monday
- Wingate defeated Carson-Newman 8-2 Monday morning to advance to the title game
- The Bulldogs scored 43 runs in the five games
- Wingate hit .318 on the weekend with eight homers and seven doubles
- The 'Dogs also posted a 3.40 team ERA
- WU pitching struck out 39 while walking 10 in 45 innings of work
- Wingate compiled a .503 on-base percentage
- Six different Bulldogs drove in at least five runs in the tournament
- Jed Bryant led the 'Dogs with 10 RBI, blasting three homers
- Carson Simpson and McCann Mellett added seven RBI each
- Logan McNeely hit a team-best .444 while driving in five runs
- Justin Guy hit .412 with five RBI
- Hunter Dula had two homers and five RBI
- Sam Broderson posted a 1.42 ERA in three appearances, picking up the win Monday
- Mac Callari had a 1.59 ERA in his three appearances
- Austin Mitchell tossed a complete game Monday morning, allowing just two runs
- Dula struck out 10 in seven strong innings in the opener
- Dula was named the SAC Tournament MVP

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-hit Newberry 12-10
- The 'Dogs had six of the eight extra-base hits; each team had two homers
- The Bulldogs committed two of the three errors
- Newberry left nine on base; the 'Dogs stranded five
- WU pitching struck out seven and walked three; Newberry had four strikeouts and seven walks
- For the second time in as many games on Monday, the 'Dogs turned three double plays
- Wingate scored five runs with two outs
- The Bulldogs went six-for-10 with runners in scoring position; the Wolves were zero-for-seven

KEY BULLDOGS

- Bryant had two homers and five RBI to lead the Wingate offense
- Simpson was two-for-four with a double, triple, four RBI and three runs
- Mellett went three-for-four with three RBI and a run scored
- Guy was two-for-three with a double, RBI and run scored
- Andrew McKay added two hits and scored twice
- Dula, McNeely and Michael Dansky each scored a run
- Broderson got the win, allowing just one run in 3 1/3 innings
- Mac Callari allowed just one run in 3 2/3 innings to start the game
- Austin Johnson tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts

FIRST INNING

- Mellett led off the bottom of the first with a double
- McNeely drew a one-out walk
- Bryant followed with a towering three-run shot down the left field line

SECOND INNING

- McKay led off the second with a single
- He scored when Simpson lined an RBI double to left center to make it 4-0
- Mellett's sacrifice fly plated Simpson to put the 'Dogs on top by five

FOURTH INNING

- Jack Harris led off the fourth with a solo shot to get Newberry on the board
- McKay led off the bottom of the inning with a single
- A walk put two on for Mellett, who lined an RBI single to right to make it 6-1

FIFTH INNING

- Harris connected on a two-run shot to pull the Wolves within three

SIXTH INNING

- Guy started a two-out rally with a double down the left field line
- Mellett delivered another two-out RBI single to put the 'Dogs on top 7-3

SEVENTH INNING

- Three walks loaded the bases with two outs for Simpson
- He ripped a bases-clearing triple to right center to push the lead to seven
- Guy followed with an RBI single to plate Simpson and make it 11-3

EIGHTH INNING

- Dansky drew a lead-off walk
- Bryant crushed his second homer of the day and third of the tourney to left center to make it 13-3

WRAPUP

- Broderson got the win, allowing a run on two hits in 3 1/3 innings, striking out three
- Johnson retired the final three batters of the game, getting two strikeouts
- Tomas Sorcia took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings, falling to 4-3

UP NEXT

- Wingate has earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament
- The Bulldogs learn their postseason fate May 23 when the bracket is announced on NCAA.com
- The 'Dogs will be making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance
- It will be the fourth in the last 10 years, along with 2011, 2015 and 2018