Wingate, N.C.----Big innings proved to be the key for the Wingate University Bulldogs, as they picked up a pair of victories in NCAA Division II baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. The Bulldogs downed Southeast Region foe Lander 12-5 in the first game of the day, the prevailed 8-6 over in the nightcap to secure the sweep. With the wins, Wingate improves to 9-4 on the season, riding a seven-game winning streak.

Game One | Wingate 12, Lander 5

KEY STATS

- The Bulldogs did their damage in just two innings, plating eight runs in the fifth and four runs in the seventh
- Wingate out-hit Lander 12-10
- A trio of Bulldog pitchers struck out 11 Bearcat batters
- Eight of Wingate's starting nine recorded at least one hit
- The Bulldogs hit three homers in the contest

KEY BULLDOGS

- Ricky Clark broke the game open in the fifth with a grand slam
- Cam Harris finished two-for-five with a single, double, two RBI and two runs scored
- Lane Rhodes was two-for-three with a single, double, RBI, and run scored
- Michael Dansky added a homer, two RBI and run scored
- Sean Barnett also homered, driving in two and scoring twice
- Brett Adams finished one-for-three with a single, RBI, and run scored
- Andrew McKay and Alex Naylor each added a hit
- Collin McDougall went five innings without allowing an earned run to earn the win
- Dylan Story tossed 2 1/3 perfect frames, striking out four

THIRD INNING

- Connor Droze hit a three-run home run to give Lander a 3-0 lead

FIFTH INNING

- Rhodes led off the home half of the inning with a double
- Harris followed with a double that plated Rhodes and got the Bulldogs on the board
- Dansky tied the game at 3 thanks to a two-run home run
- A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with nobody out for Clark
- His grand slam to right field that gave the Bulldogs a 7-3 advantage
- After being hit by a pitch with two outs, Naylor advanced to second on a Lander error and scored via a Rhodes RBI single

SEVENTH INNING

- Will McClellan's two-run, two-out single trimmed the Wingate lead to 8-5
- Naylor led off the bottom of the inning with a single
- After a sacrifice bunt advanced Naylor to second, he scored on a Harris RBI single
- An Adams single plated Harris for a 10-5 Wingate lead
- Barnett's two-run blast capped the scoring

WRAPUP

- McDougall evened his record at 2-2, striking out five batters while scattering three hits in five innings
- Story pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, striking out four batters while not allowing a hit or walk
- Ethan Califf started the game and took the loss for Lander
- He gave up five earned runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts in four-plus innings

GAME TWO | Wingate 8, Findlay 6

KEY STATS

- Wingate scored two runs in the first inning, improving to 5-1 on the season when scoring in their first at-bat
- Wingate held an 11-8 edge in hits
- Three Bulldogs had multi-hit games
- Three Bulldog pitchers saw action and surrendered just one walk in the contest
- The Bulldogs had their way on the base paths with three stolen bases
- The Oilers and Bulldogs combined for seven doubles in the game, four of which were struck by the visitors

KEY BULLDOGS

- Harris led the Wingate offense, going three-for-four with two singles, a double, an RBI and two runs scored
- Dansky was two-for-four with a single, homer, two RBI and two runs scored
- Barnett recorded a multi-hit game, going two-for-five with a pair of singles and two RBI
- Adams went one-for-four with a home run and two RBI
- Naylor went one-for-four with a double and run scored
- Will Farrell and Isaiah Williams-Rhem added a hit apiece
- Josh Dotson went seven innings to earn the win
- Jordan Howard notched the save with a perfect ninth

FIRST INNING

- Harris led off the game with a single
- He scored on a two-run blast from Adams for a 2-0 Wingate lead

THIRD INNING

- Findlay tied the game thanks to a two-run double from Keelan Daniel
- Dansky put the hosts back on top with a solo shot in the bottom of the frame

FIFTH INNING

- Mike Sciortino reach on a leadoff double and scored on a groundout as the Oilers knotted the game at 3-3
- Harris doubled on the first pitch of the home portion of the inning, then scored on a bases loaded walk for a 4-3 Bulldog lead

SIXTH INNING

- A Dansky single brought home Farrell for a 5-3 Wingate lead
- The Bulldogs tacked on two more runs thanks to a Barnett two-run single for a 7-3 advantage

SEVENTH INNING

- Naylor led off the frame with a double, then scored on a Harris RBI double to give Wingate an 8-3 lead

EIGHTH INNING

- Ryan Thompson ripped a bases-clearing three-run double with two outs to bring Findlay within two at 8-6
- Thompson was stranded at second following an inning-ending strikeout.

WRAPUP

- Dotson earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts in seven complete innings
- Howard pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts to earn the save
- Carson Mellott was charged with the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings

UP NEXT

- Wingate closes out the weekend with a matchup against Lander at 4 p.m. Sunday