WINGATE AND PC SPLIT SAC BASEBALL TWINBILL ON 
SENIOR DAY AT WU

Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University baseball team split a South Atlantic Conference twinbill with visiting Presbyterian College Saturday afternoon at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field on the Wingate campus. Prior to the games, the Bulldogs recognized eight seniors playing their final SAC home series.

Presbyterian won the first game 6-4, while Wingate rebounded to take game two 8-1. Wingate is 14-24 overall (7-4 SAC) and Presbyterian is 16-17 overall (4-7 SAC). The Bulldogs and the Blue Hose will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. to conclude the three-game South Atlantic Conference set.
 
                  Game 1- Presbyterian 6, Wingate 4
 
The Blue Hose scored two runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to take the first game win. PC senior outfielder Philip Hauserman started the uprising with a single up the middle. Blue Hose junior second baseman Donald Sheppard plated the winning run with a double to right center.

Sheppard advanced to third on a wild pitch by Wingate sophomore starter Chad Yow (Stanfield, N.C.). Sheppard scored an insurance run on an RBI single by sophomore shortstop Evan Sowell. Sheppard led the Blue Hose at the plate in game one, going three-for-four with a double and one RBI.

Wingate got out of the gates first, scoring three runs on five hits in the bottom of the second inning. Senior catcher Chad Emery (Fairview, N.C.) and sophomore designated hitter Kirk Matthews (East Bend, N.C.) contributed RBI singles, while another run scored on a double-play grounder.

Presbyterian wasted little time responding, scoring two runs in the top of the third inning. Blue Hose senior pitcher Kevin White did the most damage, bringing home two runs with a double to left field.

The Blue Hose took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning, scoring two unearned runs on two hits and two Wingate errors. PC loaded the bases on an error and two singles. A double-play grounder scored one run. Another run scored on a Wingate error.

The Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with a single spot. Emery led off the frame with a double down the left-field line. He moved to third on a balk by White and scored on a groundout by freshman second baseman Shaughn Neal (Matthews, N.C.).

Emery was two-for-four with a double and one RBI. He was the only Bulldog with more than one hit. Sheppard’s three hits led the Blue Hose. Sowell and freshman outfielder Matt Sparrow chipped in two hits each. Sowell had one RBI.

White picked up the win, pitching seven innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking two. Blue Hose sophomore reliever Robert Cole pitched two scoreless innings to notch his first save. He struck out two and allowed only one hit.

Yow took the loss, giving up six runs (four earned) on 10 hits. He struck out three and walked four in eight innings of work. Yow is 5-4 overall this season.

                            Game#1 - Box Score
 
                     Game 2 – Wingate 8, Presbyterian 1

Wingate scored five runs in the first two innings to salvage the split. After the Blue Hose scored one run in the first, the Bulldogs plated three runs in their half of the opening frame. Sophomore third baseman Tim Bowman (Low Gap, N.C.) started the inning with a walk. Senior outfielder Andrew Connor (Randleman, N.C.) reached on a fielder’s choice, forcing Bowman at second base.

Senior first baseman Sherman Greer (Stanfield, N.C.) followed with a single to put runners at first and second. Senior shortstop David Yount (Forest City, N.C.) stroked an RBI double to score Connor. Greer and Yount scored on a two-RBI double by senior outfielder Andrew Brockington (Florence, S.C.).

Wingate scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning, thanks to a two-RBI single by Bowman. The Parkland High product contributed another RBI single in the Wingate half of the sixth inning as the Bulldogs posted three additional runs.

Bowman gave the Bulldogs a spark from the lead-off spot as he had two hits in three at-bats. Bowman had three RBI and a stolen base. Brockington was two-for-four with three RBI. The senior had one of Wingate’s two doubles in the nightcap.

Bulldog sophomore right-hander Eric Brown (Hamlet, N.C.) pitched his second consecutive complete game to improve his record to 3-5 overall. Brown allowed one unearned run on five hits. He struck out five and walked one.

For the Blue Hose, junior designated hitter Lance Howard was two-for-three with one RBI. Howard was the only Presbyterian player with multiple hits. Blue Hose sophomore left-hander Ryan Ariail took the loss. Ariail pitched one-plus innings, allowing five runs on five hits. He struck out two and walked two.

Game#2 - Box Score

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