VIDEO | Game 1 Highlights
VIDEO | Game 2 Highlights
VIDEO | Jeff Gregory post-championship interview
VIDEO | Will Farrell post-championship interview
VIDEO | Tanner McCammon post-championship interview
Asheboro, N.C.----The second-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs blasted nine homers Saturday afternoon, taking down top-seeded and sixth-ranked Catawba College twice to take the best-of-three series in the South Atlantic Conference baseball championship. The 'Dogs won the opener 15-5 in seven innings, then prevailed 8-6 in the finale to claim the second tourney title in three years, third in six years and ninth in program history. The Bulldogs improve to 39-17 overall, earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Catawba loses back-to-back games for the first time this season, falling to 42-11 on the season.
Will Farrell was named the SAC Tournament MVP.
GAME ONE | WINGATE 15 #6 CATAWBA 5
KEY STATS
- Wingate out-hit Catawba 16-7
- The 'Dogs had seven of the nine extra-base hits with six of the seven homers
- The Indians left seven on base; the Bulldogs stranded three
- Catawba had five of the eight stolen bases
- Each team committed an error
- Catawba pitching struck out seven and walked three; WU struck out two and walked three
KEY BULLDOGS
- Farrell homered twice, drove in three runs and scored three times
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Tanner McCammon added a homer and three RBI
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Reed Benamati was three-for-four with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored
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Bowen Powell homered, drove in two and scored twice
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Jake Courville added a hit and three RBI
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Neil Griffin homered and scored twice
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Brad Hart went two-for-three with an RBI and two runs scored
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Jalen Evans was three-for-four with three stolen bases and a run scored
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Gavin Groppuso added a hit and scored a run
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JD Little went five innings to earn the win, allowing five runs
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Carson Morton tossed two shutout frames with two strikeouts
FIRST INNING
- An RBI single from Hunter Atkins gave Catawba an early 1-0 lead
SECOND INNING
- A Logan Dyer RBI groundout stretched the lead to two
THIRD INNING
- Singles from Hart and Benamati started the WU third
- A Groppuso sacrifice moved them to second and third
- Courville's two-run single tied it at two
FOURTH INNING
- Dyer's RBI single put Catawba back on top 3-2
- Evans led off the bottom of the frame with a bunt single
- Farrell launched a two-run homer to right to put the 'Dogs on top 4-3
FIFTH INNING
- Powell was hit by a pitch with one out
- McCammon connected on a two-run shot to left center to give WU a three-run lead
- Griffin added a solo homer to left center
- Farrell made it back-to-back shots with a blast to right center to make it 8-3
SIXTH INNING
- A Matthew Connolly two-run double pulled the Indians back within three
- Benamati led off the bottom of the frame with a solo homer to center
- Groppuso followed by drawing a walk
- Powell launched a two-run homer to center to give the Bulldogs an 11-5 advantage
SEVENTH INNING
- Griffin was hit by a pitch to start the inning, while Farrell drew a walk
- Hart's RBI bunt single started the scoring in the inning, pushing the lead to seven
- Benamati lined an RBI single to center to make it 13-5
- Courville's RBI groundout extended the lead to nine
- McCammon ripped an RBI single to left, plating Benamati to end the game via run-rule
WRAPUP
- Little got the win, allowing five runs on seven hits in five innings of work
- Morton got the save, striking out two without allowing a hit in two shutout frames
- Casey Gouge took his first loss of the season, allowing eight runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings
GAME TWO | WINGATE 8 #6 CATAWBA 6
KEY STATS
- Wingate out-hit Catawba 11-10
- Each team had six extra-base hits; the 'Dogs had three of the five homers
- The Indians left five on base; the Bulldogs stranded four
- Catawba had four of the six stolen bases
- The Indians had the lone error in the contest
- Catawba pitching struck out 10 and walked three; WU struck out three and walked three
KEY BULLDOGS
- McCammon homered twice and drove in three runs
- Griffin added a homer and a pair of RBI
- Courville contributed a pair of hits including a double, driving in a run
- Hart also had two hits with an RBI
- Farrell went two-for-three with a double, stolen base and two runs scored
- Powell added a hit and scored a run
- Benamati also scored a run, adding a stolen base
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Jett Thomas went the final five innings, allowing one run while striking out three
SECOND INNING
- A Ty Hubbard sacrifice fly started the scoring
- An RBI single from Malachi Cloud added a run
- Nathan Chrismom scored on a wild pitch to give the Indians a 3-0 lead
THIRD INNING
- Farrell led off the frame with a double, while Benamati reached on a fielder's choice
- Benamati stole second, with Farrell scoring on the play to get the 'Dogs on the board
- Courville's RBI double made it a one-run game
FOURTH INNING
- McCammon led off the frame with a solo homer to left center, tying it at three
- Connolly launched a solo shot in the bottom of the frame to put the Indians back on top
- Brandon Crabtree added an RBI double to give Catawba a 5-3 lead
SIXTH INNING
- Powell got things started with a one-out single
- McCammon crushed a two-run homer to left, tying it at five
- Evans followed by drawing a walk
- Griffin's two-run homer down the left field line put the 'Dogs on top 7-5
SEVENTH INNING
- Crabtree led off the inning with a solo homer, making it a one-run game
EIGHTH INNING
- Farrell drew a two-out walk, then stole second and went to third on an error on the play
- He scored on Hart's two-out RBI single to make it 8-6
- Thomas set the Indians down in order in the bottom of the frame to send it to the ninth
NINTH INNING
- Cloud led off the inning with a single
- Hart caught him trying to steal second for the first out of the inning
- Thomas got a groundout and flyout to end the game
WRAPUP
- Thomas got the win, allowing a run on four hits in five innings, striking out three without a walk
- Zachary Gaydos took the loss, allowing two runs on a hit
UP NEXT
- Wingate will learn its postseason future Sunday night, when the D2 field is announced
- The field will be announced live on NCAA.com at 10 p.m. Sunday night
- The Bulldogs were fourth in the most recent NCAA Southeast Region poll
