Hickory, N.C. – The Wingate Baseball Team (17-22, 8-10) swept a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader from Lenoir-Rhyne (20-18, 6-12), 15-1 and 7-5, Saturday afternoon at Bears Field.

Game One – Wingate 15, Lenoir-Rhyne 1
The Bulldogs exploded with a nine-run fourth inning and added six runs in the ninth frame for insurance in a decisively easy victory.

Colby Barnette (Monroe, N.C.), Trent Wynn (New Bern, N.C.) and Reece Daniel (Asheboro, N.C.) all drove in three runs while Hunter Morgan (Summerfield, N.C.) (5-3) earned the victory on the mound after allowing just one run while striking out eight batters in eight innings of work for the Bulldogs.

Lenoir-Rhyne's lone run was driven in by junior third baseman Fred Wadsworth (Columbia, S.C.) in the fifth frame while junior Landon Whitson (Marion, N.C.) fell to 2-3 after taking the loss.

Game Two – Wingate 7, Lenoir-Rhyne 5 (seven innings)
Barnette hit a two-run home run as part of a four-run first inning as the Bulldogs never looked back on their way to the sweep of the Bears.  Barnette finished with three runs batted in.

Lenoir-Rhyne cut the lead to two runs twice – 4-2 and 7-5 - but couldn't get any closer.  Junior outfielder Marcus Shoemaker (Colfax, N.C.) and sophomore pinch hitter Matthew Freeman (Belews Creek, N.C.) drove in runs for the Bears in the setback.

Wingate's Cameron Smetak (Monroe, N.C.) (1-0) won for Wingate in relief while Cameron Price (Indian Trail, N.C.) notched his second save of the season.  Lenoir-Rhyne freshman John Grigg (Lawndale, N.C.) fell to 2-3 after taking the loss.

Lenoir-Rhyne hits the road to take on Augusta University on Wednesday, April 12, at 5:00 p.m., in Augusta, Ga., while Wingate hosts UNC Pembroke on Tuesday beginning at 6:00 p.m.