Wingate, N.C.-—-The Wingate University Bulldogs swept the visiting Southern Wesleyan University Warriors in a rain-delay makeup doubleheader on Monday afternoon in NCAA Division II softball action. Wingate improves to 16-5 on the season, while Southern Wesleyan falls to 1-11.
 
GAME ONE | Wingate 10, Southern Wesleyan 2 (six innings)
 
KEY STATS
 
- Wingate out-hit Southern Wesleyan 12-8
- The Warriors had two of the three extra-base hits
- Each team committed an error
- The Bulldogs left five runners on base; SWU stranded six
- WU had three of the four stolen bases in the game
- The 'Dogs' pitching staff struck out three and walked one, while Southern Wesleyan struck out two and walked four
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Laney McLaurin went two-for-four and drove in a pair of runs
- Danielle Kirchhofer drove in the two runs that ended the game
- Sara Stroud was two-for-three with a walk, an RBI, a steal and two runs scored
- Hannah Reeves went for two hits, one of which was a double, drove in a run and stole a base
- Ragan Liles added two hits, two runs and an RBI
- Hannah Stevens was one-for-one with two walks and two runs scored
- Hali Scott pitched four innings in relief, allowing just two hits and giving up one run
 
FIRST INNING
 
- The 'Dogs got the offense going early by loading the bases before recording an out
- McLaurin drove in Stroud and Heaven Maness with a two-run single to give Wingate an early lead
 
SECOND INNING
 
- Liles drove in Stevens on a single back up the middle to keep the early offense going
- Stroud kept the momentum going with an RBI-single to center field, scoring Liles
- WU led 4-0 after two innings
 
THIRD INNING
 
- Southern Wesleyan got on the board as Delaney Byers scored on a wild pitch
- In the next at-bat, Stroud doubled up the runner at third on a liner
- Scott limited the damage to one run after entering with runners on second and third with no outs
 
SIXTH INNING
 
- Kaitlyn Stewart cut the SWU deficit to 4-2 with an RBI-single up the middle, scoring EJ Wolfe
- The 'Dogs responded in the bottom half with and explosive six-run inning while recording just one out
- Savanna Swickard got the ball rolling in the inning, singling up the middle to score Stevens
- Maness drove in a run and reached on a fielding error with the bases loaded
- The SWU first baseman's throw home on a Brooks ground ball was not in time, driving in Wingate's seventh run of the day
- With the bases still loaded, Reeves hit an RBI-single, advancing each runner 60 feet
- Brooks and Maness scored on Kirchhofer's infield single to clinch the win for Wingate
 
WRAPUP
 
- Scott got the win for the 'Dogs, improving to 4-1 on the year
- She allowed one run on two hits in four innings, striking out two
- Faith Bowen took the loss, allowing nine earned runs on 10 hits in 5+ innings of work
 
GAME TWO | Wingate 4, Southern Wesleyan 3
 
KEY STATS
 
- Wingate out-hit Southern Wesleyan 6-5
- The Bulldogs recorded all four extra-base hits including the only homer of the day
- WU was charged with the only two errors of game two
- The 'Dogs left one runner on base; the Warriors stranded five on the base paths
- SWU's Emma Collins struck out five, walked none and hit one, while Wingate's staff struck out five, walked one and hit one
- Each team stole a base
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- Reeves hit her sixth homer of the season on a two-run shot in the first
- The junior also pitched three innings in relief to record the save
- Maness was two-for-three including a triple with an RBI and a run scored
- Brooks was one-for-two, driving in a key insurance run in the sixth
- Stroud tripled and scored a run
- Kirchhofer picked up the win for the Bulldogs
 
FIRST INNING
 
- Stroud tripled down the right field line to get Wingate's half of the first started
- Maness drove her in on a bunt single, but was thrown out trying to advance to second
- Reeves' homered to dead-center, scoring Brooks and opening up a 3-0 Bulldog lead
 
THIRD INNING
 
- Back-to-back RBI-singles from Addie Johnson and Emmy Copeland brought the Warriors to within a run of the lead
 
SIXTH INNING
 
- Maness slapped a triple to left-center field to lead off the sixth
- Brooks drove a fly ball to deep left field to score Maness and pad the WU lead
 
SEVENTH INNING
 
- SWU had runners on the corners with no outs
- Byers' fly ball to left field scored the run, but Swickard threw out the tagging runner at second
- Reeves forced a flyout in the next at-bat to seal the win
 
WRAPUP
 
- Kirchhofer got the win, improving to 4-0 on the season
- She gave up two runs on four hits in 4+ innings, while striking out three
- Reeves earned the nine-out save, giving up the run in the seventh, and struck out two
 
UP NEXT
 
- Wingate hosts UNC Pembroke for a doubleheader on Wednesday
- First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.