Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University softball team compiled 21 runs on 17 hits on the way to an NCAA Division II doubleheader sweep over Davis & Elkins (W.Va.) Saturday. The Bulldogs won the first game 13-0 in five innings and rallied to take game two 8-7 in nine innings.
Raechel Cutcher (2-0) won both games for the hosts, who improved to 4-0 overall on the young season. Davis & Elkins drops its first two games of the 2022 campaign. The Senators are 0-2 overall.
GAME ONE | Wingate 13, Davis & Elkins 0 (five innings)
KEY STATS
- Wingate held a 10-3 advantage in hits
- The Bulldogs had five extra-base hits (three doubles, two homers)
- Wingate collected six stolen bases
- Davis & Elkins' pitchers issued 12 walks to Wingate batters
- The Senators had three errors to zero for the Bulldogs
KEY BULLDOGS
- Laney McLaurin was two-for-two with a double, a homer and five RBI
- Danielle Kirchhofer was two-for-three with two doubles and three RBI
- Sara Stroud was one-for-two with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored
FIRST INNING
- With two outs, Savanna Brooks walked
- McLaurin followed with an RBI double
SECOND INNING
- Wingate posted four runs on two hits, sending 10 batters to the plate
- Kirchhofer contributed a two-RBI double
- McLaurin had an RBI walk
- Hannah Stevens added an RBI single
THIRD INNING
- The Bulldogs plated a two-out run on no hits
- McLaurin had her second RBI walk in as many innings
FOURTH INNING
- Wingate put the game out of reach with seven runs on seven hits
- Thirteen batters went to the plate
- Stroud and McLaurin had identical two-run homers
WRAPUP
- Cutcher earned a victory in her first 2022 start
- In four innings, she allowed one hit while striking out three
- Hannah Reeves pitched a scoreless fifth inning for the 'Dogs
- Shelby Hile took the loss for D&E
- Hile surrendered 13 runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking 11
GAME TWO | Wingate 8, Davis & Elkins 7 (nine innings)
KEY STATS
- Davis & Elkins flipped the offensive tables, outhitting Wingate 14-7
- The Senators made four errors while the Bulldogs completed an errorless day with zero
- Davis & Elkins left 11 on base, while Wingate stranded only six
KEY BULLDOGS
- Brooks was two-for-four with a triple, a homer and three RBI
- McLaurin was one-for-three with three RBI
- Leadoff hitter Stroud was one-for-two with two RBI, two runs scored and two walks
FIRST INNING
- Lilly Saucedo hit a two-out homer for Davis & Elkins
- Stroud matched Saucedo with a solo home run of her own
- Later, Brooks posted an RBI triple and scored on McLaurin's sacrifice fly
SECOND INNING
- Lina Gutierrez posted a two-RBI single for the Senators
THIRD INNING
- Linzey Allard gave the visitors a 4-3 lead with an RBI double
FIFTH INNING
- With two outs, Ragan Liles reached on an error
- Brooks followed with a home run to give the 'Dogs a 5-4 edge
SIXTH INNING
- D&E scored two runs on four hits to regain the lead
- Trinity Cossette and Gutierrez each contributed an RBI single
SEVENTH INNING
- Allard's RBI double made the score 7-5 Senators
- McLaurin tied the score at 7-7 with a two-RBI single
NINTH INNING
- Savanna Swickard was placed on second base (international tie-breaker)
- Alyssa Hall sacrificed Swickard to third base
- Stroud's sacrifice fly scored Swickard and bumped the Bulldogs to 4-0 overall
WRAPUP
- Cutcher notched her second victory of the day
- In three innings of relief, she gave up one run on three hits with four strikeouts and one walk
- Davis & Elkins' Jenna Evans pitched a complete game
- Evans allowed eight runs (four earned) on seven hits
- She threw 127 pitches in 8 1/3 innings
UP NEXT
- Wingate completes its season-opening homestand Monday, hosting Southern Wesleyan
- Monday's first pitch is slated for noon
- The Bulldogs travel to Cocoa Beach, Fla. for the Florida Tech Invitational Friday-Sunday
- Wingate will play Florida Tech (twice), Barry, Rollins and Lynn
