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Tigerville, S.C.----A thunderstorm in the top of the sixth inning was the only thing that could slow down the bats of the Wingate University Bulldogs Friday night. The last pitch of the evening was a three-run homer from Hunter Dula that put Wingate on top 12-4 against #11 Mount Olive. The game was then halted due to lightning in the area. Officials and coaches determined to call it for the night and resume the contest Saturday at 10 a.m. Wingate is hitting in the top of the sixth with an eight-run lead in the NCAA Division II southeast regional baseball contest.

After Mount Olive scored in the bottom of the first, an Andrew McKay solo shot in the second got Wingate on the board. An RBI single from Michael Dansky in the top of the third gave the 'Dogs a 2-1 lead. The Trojans regained the advantage with a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame.

Wingate had an emphatic response, scoring 10 runs over the next two-plus innings. McCann Mellett's RBI single in the fourth plated Justin Guy to tie it, while Jed Bryant drew a bases-loaded walk to put the 'Dogs on top. Gehrig Christopher followed with a two-run single to make it 7-4.

Mellett added to the lead in the top of the fifth with a towering two-run shot down the right field line, his second homer in as many days to push the lead to five.

Logan McNeely led off the sixth with a double, while Bryant drew a walk. Dula crushed a three-run shot through the driving rain storm to left to make it a 12-4 game. The contest went into a lightning delay immediately following Dula's homer.

Brody McCullough got through five innings on the mound, allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out five.

The key contest features the only two teams remaining without a loss in the regional. The game is slated to restart Saturday at 10 a.m. The first full game of Saturday was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. but will now be pushed back to a noon start. The winner of the WU-UMO contest will play the final game of the day Saturday at approximately 8 p.m. The loser of the WU-UMO game will be right back in action for the noon contest in an elimination game against Catawba. The winner of that noon elimination game will take on the winner of this Wingate-Mount Olive contest Saturday night.