WINGATE, N.C. - Opening the weekend contest featuring a pair of nationally-ranked team in league action, the No. 17 Newberry College (30-8, 12-4 SAC) baseball team dropped the opener of the three-game tilt against the No. 2 Wingate University Bulldogs on Friday, April 8.

Senior Zane Tarrance (Odessa, Fla.) notched a pair of RBIs on the evening, a mark that tied for the team lead in the contest as fellow senior Beau Thompson (Pickens, S.C.) brought in a pair as well. Freshman Jonathan Velez (Mayaguez, P.R.) added a run as well. The Wolves were able to scatter eight hits over the night.

Though the Wolves drew the loss on the evening they were still able to rack up seven strikeouts throughout the night. 

Newberry was able to kick off the contest with a string of base runners as sophomore Jacob LeBron (Lexington, S.C.) kicked off the game with single before Tarrance drew a walk to put two on the bags. Junior Braylin Marine (Freeport, N.Y.) loaded the bases with a single to center field, but they were only able to scratch across a run as a hard ground out brought around the line run of the inning for the Wolves giving them the 1-0 lead.

Wingate responded with a five spot in the bottom half of the frame, and though the Wolves were able to juice the bags again in the top of the second, they were unable to respond. However, Thompson would record his second RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third to bring the margin back to three. The Bulldogs knocked a solo shot in the bottom of the third to extend their lead back to 6-2.

A two-RBI single in the top of the fourth would pull Newberry back to within two runs, but that would be the closest they would get throughout the rest of the contest as thought they were able to plate another run, the Bulldogs recorded four more over that stretch to take the 10-5 victory over the Wolves.

The two teams return to action tomorrow as they round out their three-game series with a double header starting at 1:00 p.m.