Wingate And Catawba Suffer Setbacks On Day Two Of NCAA Baseball Regional

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. -- Wingate University fell to Francis Marion University 6-1 and UNC Pembroke edged Catawba College 4-3 on day two of the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional baseball tournament Friday afternoon at Scarborough Field.

The loss eliminates sixth-seeded Wingate from the tournament, while the number five seed and 19th ranked Catawba faces the second seed Francis Marion Saturday at 3 p.m. in an elimination game. Catawba defeated Francis Marion, 2-1 in 10 innings, on the first day of the tournament. The top seed and second ranked Mount Olive College will play the third seed and seventh ranked UNC Pembroke in the winner's bracket final Saturday at 11 a.m.

Tournament website: http://www.moc.edu/index.php/2011-ncaa-ii-baseball-southeast-regional

Francis Marion 6, Wingate 1

Michael Wilson had a homer and three RBI to lead the FMU attack. Brian Paulhus was two-for-four with an RBI and two runs scored, while Preston Shuey added an RBI for the Patriots.

Junior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) provided the Wingate (34-22) offense with a solo homer in the seventh. Freshman infielder Cody Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.) had two hits for the Bulldogs. Senior catcher Taylor Honeycutt (Indian Trail, N.C.) and redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) each had doubles for the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament champions.

The Patriots (38-150 took advantage of two Wingate errors in the fourth, plating the game's first run. Wilson provided the big blow in the fifth, lining his first homer of the year down the line in right field, making the score 4-0. An RBI single from Shuey in the seventh put FMU on top by five.

The Bulldogs scored their lone run in the seventh, when Allison hit a towering drive to left, his 10th homer of the season to make cut the Wingate deficit to 5-1. An RBI single from Paulhus in the eighth pushed the Francis Marion lead back to five.

The Bulldogs would not go quietly, loading the bases in the ninth for the top of the order. FMU reliever Patrick Mincey induced a foul-out, while ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts.

Jeffrey Stoner got the win, improving to 9-0 overall. He allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking three. Wingate sophomore right-hander Justin Somers (Wilmington, N.C.) took the loss, falling to 7-4 overall on the year. He allowed four runs on four hits in six innings, striking out five.

UNC Pembroke 4, Catawba 3

UNC Pembroke scored a run in the eighth and downed Catawba 4-3, The Braves improve to 44-10, while the Catawba Indians fall to 41-14.

UNC Pembroke took advantage of some Catawba miscues and some friendly bounces to jump on top in the third. JJ Williams struck out to leadoff the third, but reached on a wild pitch. The Braves would string together three straight one-out hits to score the three runs.

Keith Whitman singled home the first run and the Indians failed to record the second out on the play when Jason Coker knocked the ball loose at third base. Eitan Moaz followed with a two-run single to give UNCP its 3-0 edge.

Catawba battled back to pull even in the seventh. Brett Underwood (Greensboro, NC/SW Guilford HS) singled to open the frame and Julio Zubillaga (China Grove, NC/Carson HS) drew a walk with one out. Ryan Bostian (China Grove, NC/S. Rowan HS/Montreat) greeted Brave reliever Braxton Lewis with a single to plate Underwood and get the Indians on the board.

UNCP gave Catawba a break when they misplayed a double play ball allowing the Indians to load the bases. Chris Dula (Troutman, NC/S. Iredell HS) drove home a second run on a ground out and Bostian raced home a wild pitch to tie the game. Bostian's run, although unearned, was the first run allowed by Lewis all season and ended a streak of 43 and two-third innings of not allowing a run.

The Braves came right back in the top of the eight to reclaim the lead. Kenny Mickens grounder got under the glove of Dula at third with two outs to allow Aaron Parnell to score. Lewis would sit down Catawba in order after that, striking out four to post the win.

Nathan Furr (Albemarle, NC/W. Stanly HS) took the loss for Catawba, surrendering an unearned run off three hits. Starter JJ Jankowski (McMurray, PA/Peter's Township HS/Miami,OH) did not factor in the decision. He struck out 12 over seven innings and allowed six hits and two earned runs.

Whitman had the big stick as he went 4-for-4 for the Braves. The Indians have to win twice on Satureday to make it to Sunday's championship games.