Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University All-American right-hander Brody McCullough struck out a career-high 17 batters Friday night, marking the most by a Wingate pitcher in 24 years, as the second-ranked Bulldogs rolled to a 14-2 victory over UVA Wise in South Atlantic Conference baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium. Wingate improves to 29-3 overall and 11-1 in the SAC, while the Cavaliers fall to 13-20 and 3-10 in league play. The 'Dogs are a perfect 17-0 at home this season, winning 29 of their last 30 home contests dating back to last season.
 
KEY STATS
 
- Wingate out-hit UVA Wise 14-6
- The Bulldogs had all seven extra-base hits including the lone home run
- WU left eight runners on the bases; the Cavaliers stranded seven
- Wise committed the only error of the contest; the 'Dogs stole three bases
- The Bulldog pitching staff struck out 20 and walked three; the Cavs struck out five and walked seven
 
KEY BULLDOGS
 
- McCullough went 6 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on just two hits and a walk, striking out a career-high 17
- It's the most for a Wingate pitcher since Danny Lampley struck out a SAC-record 19 on two separate occasions in the 1998 season
- Mitch Farris was two-for-four with a double and a triple, driving in a pair of runs and scoring twice
- Logan McNeely and Andrew McKay each had a double as one of their two hits, plating two runs and scoring two more runs apiece
- Justin Guy added two RBI, two hits, a run scored and a stolen base
- Sean Barnett hit his first-career home run on a two-run shot off the left-field foul pole in the eighth
- Gehrig Christopher hit a double to become one of six Bulldogs to record two RBI on the night
- Andrew Motsinger had two hits and a walk in the leadoff spot, scoring two runs and stealing a base
- Isaiah Williams-Rhem knocked in a run on a triple
 
FIRST INNING
 
- Motsinger started the frame with a single, followed by a Dansky walk
- McNeely ripped a two-run double to left-center, giving the Bulldogs the early lead
- Christopher then drove in McNeely on a sacrifice fly
- McKay singled through the left side to drive in another run
- With two down, Guy drove in two more on a single to right field, putting the 'Dogs on top by six after one
- The Bulldogs have scored 10 first-inning runs in two games this week
 
SECOND INNING
 
- Farris ripped a double down the right field line to score McNeely and Grayson Chapman, padding the Bulldog lead
 
FIFTH INNING
 
- Michael Dansky recorded an RBI-groundout to get Wingate back on the board
- Christopher reached on an infield single to put up the 'Dogs 10th run of the night
- Wingate has scored in double figures in 12 of 31 games this season
- The 'Dogs are now 28-0 this year when scoring three or more runs


EIGHTH INNING
 
- The Cavs got on the board in the eighth on an RBI single by Clay Taylor
- Farris and McKay recorded a two-out triple and double, respectively, as Wingate regained its 10-run advantage
- Williams-Rhem's triple plated McKay to make it 12-1
- Barnett's first-career homer was the fourth consecutive extra-base hit in the inning, put WU on top by 13
 
NINTH INNING
 
- UVA Wise added one more run before all was said and done on a JoJo Kelliher single to center
 
WRAPUP
 
- McCullough got the win, improving to 6-1 on the season
- The right-hander tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk, striking out a career-high 17
- He retired 19 batters on the night, with 17 coming via strikeout, allowing just the two singles
- His first eight outs were strikeouts, striking out the side in the first and second before a flyout ended the third
- McCullough struck out the side in the fourth, then allowed a leadoff single in the fifth, which he followed by striking out three straight
- After a groundout and walk in the sixth, McCullough notched his 15th and 16th strikeouts
- He needed just three pitches in the top of the seventh to punch out his 17th batter of the night
- He left the game after that at-bat, with Wingate on top 10-0
- McCullough threw 89 pitches on the night, with 61 strikes
- He lowered his season ERA to 0.95 while notching his sixth win
- McCullough has allowed four earned runs in 38 innings this year, piling up 75 strikeouts
- Garrett Stiltner took the loss for Wise, allowing 10 runs in five innings on 10 hits and seven walks, striking out two
- Tyler Frey closed out the seventh, striking out two of the three he faced
- Troy Langmeyer and Brent Walls each surrendered a run in their respective innings
 
UP NEXT
 
- The 'Dogs look to notch their 30th win of the season tomorrow in their doubleheader with the Cavs
- First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.