Wingate, N.C.----Trailing by two runs with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ben Karpowicz connected on a walk-off grand slam to give Wingate University a 20-18 victory over visiting Mount Olive in NCAA Division II baseball action at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field Tuesday evening. Wingate moves to 5-2 overall, while the Trojans fall to 1-3 on the year. The Bulldogs have now scored 90 runs through their first seven games this season.

KEY STATS

- Mount Olive out-hit Wingate 19-16
- The Trojans had nine of the 13 extra-base hits with six of the eight homers
- The Bulldogs left 13 on base-; Mount Olive stranded five
- The Trojans had three of the four errors in the contest
- The 'Dogs had five of the seven stolen bases
- UMO pitching struck out 12 and walked 13; WU had eight strikeouts and four walks

KEY BULLDOGS

- Karpowicz was two-for-four with a homer, two walks, six RBI and two runs scored
- Bowen Powell went three-for-five with five RBI, two stolen bases and three runs scored
- Sean Sullivan added a double, homer, four RBI and four runs scored
- Jake Courville notched two hits including a triple, driving in two runs and scoring a run
- Tanner McCammon recorded a hit, RBI and two runs scored, drawing three walks
- Max Reaume drove in a run and scored a run
- Gavin Groppuso notched a hit, a stolen base and two runs scored, drawing a pair of walks
- Jalen Evans recorded two hits, walked twice, stole a base and scored two runs
- Reed Benamati added two hits and a run scored

FIRST INNING

- A Kayden Crawford solo homer and Jakhari Howard RBI groundout gave Mount Olive a 2-0 lead
- Groppuso led off the bottom of the frame with a single, then scored on Powell's RBI single
- Powell scored on a wild pitch to tie it at two
- A Karpowicz sacrifice fly gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead

THIRD INNING

- An RBI single from Howard gave the Trojans a 4-3 advantage
- He scored on a wild pitch to stretch the lead to two
- The 'Dogs scored eight in the bottom of the frame to take an 11-5 lead
- Sullivan and McCammon were both hit by a pitch to start the frame
- An RBI single from Karpowicz made it 5-4
- Courville's two-run triple put the 'Dogs on top 6-5
- A sacrifice fly from Reaume stretched the lead to two
- Powell's two-run single made it 9-5
- Sullivan capped the scoring in the frame by launching a two-run homer to make it 11-5

FOURTH INNING

- An error, walk and Benamati single loaded the bases for Wingate
- Powell's two-run single gave the Bulldogs a 13-5 advantage
- Sullivan followed with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to nine

FIFTH INNING

- Mount Olive scored eight runs in the fifth to cut the lead to one
- Lane McClean homered twice in the inning
- After starting the frame with a solo shot, his three-run homer made it 14-13

SIXTH INNING

- Josh Mason's solo homer tied it at 14
- An RBI groundout from Wyatt Lassit gave the Trojans a 15-14 lead

EIGHTH INNING

- Mason led off the inning with a single
- He scored when Lassit was picked off first base, giving UMO a 16-14 cushion

NINTH INNING

- Crawford led off the frame with a solo homer
- A Malachi Gale solo shot gave Mount Olive an 18-14 lead
- David Sessoms led off the bottom of the inning with a walk
- Evans followed with a single
- Powell drew a walk to load the bases with two outs
- Sullivan was hit by a pitch, plating Sessoms to make it 18-15
- McCammon drew a bases-loaded walk to score Evans, cutting the lead to two
- Karpowicz followed by delivering the walk-off grand slam to left center on a 2-2 pitch with two outs

WRAPUP

- Cole Smith got the win, allowing two runs on two hits in an inning of work, striking out one
- Aiden Newton took the loss, allowing six runs on two hits in 1 2/3 innings of work

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back in action Friday, opening SAC play at Lenoir-Rhyne Friday at 3 p.m.
- The Bulldogs and Bears wrap up the series Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Hickory