VIDEO | Highlights
VIDEO | Jeff Gregory Interview
VIDEO | Cal Riehl Interview
 
Kodak, Tenn.----Wingate University SAC Freshman of the Year Seaver King had three hits including the go-ahead RBI single to cap a four-run sixth inning Saturday afternoon, while classmate Cal Riehl tossed 3 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen to lead the top-seeded and top-ranked Bulldogs to a 9-8 victory over third-seeded Queens University on day three of the SAC Tournament. Wingate improves to 44-6 overall and 2-0 in the SAC Tourney, while the Royals fall to 29-22 on the year and 1-1 in tournament play. The Bulldogs are now 15-2 in their last 17 postseason games, dating back to the start of the 2021 SAC Tournament.

KEY STATS

- Wingate out-hit Queens 16-15
- The Royals had four of the seven extra-base hits and the lone homer
- The Bulldogs left 11 on base, while the Royals stranded nine
- Queens committed the only two errors of the contest
- Wingate was two-for-two on stolen base attempts; Queens had a stolen base and was caught stealing
- WU pitching struck out nine and walked three; QU had seven strikeouts and two walks

KEY BULLDOGS

- Mitch Farris went three-for-five with two RBI and three runs scored
- Andrew Motsinger was three-for-four with a double and three runs scored
- King had three hits including a double and a triple, driving in a run
- The freshman now has a 20-game hitting streak and is hitting over .400 on the season
- Logan McNeely drove in a pair of runs and scored twice
- Brett Adams also had two RBI for the 'Dogs
- Michael Dansky collected three hits and scored a run
- Ricky Clark was three-for-five with an RBI
- Riehl struck out five in 3 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win
- Sam Brodersen retired the only batter he faced to notch the save

FIRST INNING

- Motsinger started the frame with a double then went to third on a Dansky groundout
- A McNeely sacrifice fly plated Motsinger to make it 1-0
- The 'Dogs nearly took a two-run lead, but a deep fly ball that looked to be heading out from Farris was hauled in by Queens centerfielder Dillon Lewis, robbing Farris of his 10th homer of the season

THIRD INNING

- Motsinger got things started with a single, then stole second
- He moved to third on a Dansky single, then scored on McNeely's groundout to make it 2-0
- A Clark RBI single put the 'Dogs on top by three
- Adams followed with an RBI groundout to make it 4-0

FOURTH INNING

- Queens scored four in the fourth to tie it, with a Lewis three-run homer doing most of the damage

FIFTH INNING

- A Riley Cheek RBI double gave the Royals a 5-4 lead
- RBI singles from MJ Sasapan and Garrett Evans put Queens on top by three
- Farris led off the bottom of the frame with a single, then moved to third on a Clark single
- Farris scored on a double play to pull the 'Dogs within two

SIXTH INNING

- A Sasapan RBI single gave Queens an 8-5 advantage
- Wingate answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead
- It was again a Motsinger single that started things, followed by a Dansky walk and McNeely single
- Farris ripped a two-run single to center to make it a one-run game
- Adams tied it with a sacrifice fly
- King followed with an RBI single up the middle, plating Farris to give WU a 9-8 lead

WRAPUP

- Riehl got his first win of the year, moving to 1-0 on the season
- He went a career-long 3 2/3 innings while piling up five strikeouts
- He entered the game with one on and no outs in the sixth
- After allowing the run to score, he got a pair of strikeouts to limit the damage
- The freshman worked a 1-2-3 seventh then worked around an infield single in the eighth with another strikeout
- He came back out in the ninth, getting a strikeout and flyout before allowing a two-out walk
- Brodersen came in to induce the game-ending groundout, earning his eighth save
- The first team All-SAC reliever now has a win and a save through two SAC Tourney games
- Daniel Bagwell took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in three innings, striking out five

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Sunday for its third SAC Tourney game
- They will face the winner of Saturday night's Catawba vs. LR game
- The Sunday morning contest will feature the only two teams with a 2-0 tourney record
- The winner of Sunday's game moves on to championship Sunday, getting two chances at a title
- The Bulldogs are the defending SAC Tournament champions