Jefferson City, Tenn.----The top-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs capped a solid opening weekend of league play Sunday afternoon, prevailing 8-4 at Carson-Newman University to finish off the three-game sweep in South Atlantic Conference baseball action. Wingate improves to 14-1 overall and 3-0 in the SAC, while the Eagles fall to 10-6 overall and 0-3 in league play. The 'Dogs are now 8-1 against the Eagles over the last two seasons, while becoming the first team to sweep a three-game series at Carson-Newman since 2019. The Bulldogs have won 18 of their last 19 dating back to last season's title run.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-hit Carson-Newman 12-6
- Each team had three extra-base hits and a homer
- The Bulldogs left eight on base; the Eagles stranded two
- Carson-Newman had the only two errors of the contest
- WU pitching struck out 11 and walked on; CN had five strikeouts and three walks

KEY BULLDOGS

- Jed Bryant was two-for-four with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored
- Logan McNeely added a hit, two RBI and three runs scored
- Andrew McKay also contributed a hit and two RBI
- Ricky Clark had a hit and drove in a run
- Andrew Motsinger had two hits including a double, scoring a run
- Justin Guy collected a pair of hits and scored a run
- Mac Callari went six innings to earn the win
- Mitch Farris struck out five in 2 1/3 innings to notch the save

FIRST INNING

- Back-to-back walks put two on with one out for Bryant
- He crushed a three-run shot to right to give Wingate an early 3-0 lead

THIRD INNING

- An error, walk and groundout put runners on second and third with two outs for the 'Dogs
- McKay's two-run single gave Wingate a five-run cushion

FOURTH INNING

- Motsinger led off the frame with a double, then moved to third on a groundout
- He scored on McNeely's RBI groundout to make it 6-0
- Jordan Griffin's solo shot in the bottom of the frame got the Eagles on the board

SIXTH INNING

- Guy and Motsinger started the frame with singles, then moved up a base on a groundout
- McNeely's sacrifice fly plated Guy to make it 7-1

SEVENTH INNING

- Griffin's RBI single cut the lead to five
- A balk and Andrew Carpenter RBI single made it a 7-4 game
- The Eagles had runners on second and third with two outs when Farris came in and got the inning-ending strikeout

NINTH INNING

- One-out singles from McNeely and Bryant put two more on for the Bulldogs
- Clark's RBI single put Wingate on top 8-4
- Farris ended things in the bottom of the frame, getting two strikeouts and a flyout

WRAPUP

- Callari got the win, moving to 3-0 on the year
- He allowed four runs on five hits in six innings, striking out six and walking one
- Farris tossed 2 1/3 innings without allowing a hit, striking out five without a walk for the save
- Matt Coles took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings to fall to 3-2

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Tuesday, traveling to Lander for a 4 p.m. start
- The 'Dogs host a three-game SAC series against Anderson, starting Friday at 6 p.m.