PEMBROKE – A late seventh-inning rally that scored four runs with two outs on the board delivered Wingate the comeback victory over UNCP, 5-4, in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at LRA Field.

UNCP (2-9) saw two hits and one run from freshman Karlee Wilson, while six others capture one hit each. Brea Hartley, Holly Berry, Kristen Hobbs and Kellie Van Dyke registered one RBI each for the Lady Braves. Wingate (7-3) went through nine batters in the final inning to return the lead to the Bulldogs. The squad posted five RBI as Kelsey Maffucci totaled a team-best three hits.

Natalie Kleeman spent 6-2/3 innings in the circle for UNCP while the score was in favor of the Black and Gold 4-1. Kleeman allowed six hits and three earned runs along with six strike outs in 28 batters faced. Jamie Burwell (0-4) came into the game to relieve Kleeman with one out left to end the game a half inning early, but gave up two earned runs and a trio of hits. Starr Gilley was put in for the final 1/3 inning as she gave up one hit before posting the final out.

"Klemann did a good job and she is slowly getting more and more innings," said UNCP head coach Lacinda Melanson. "We made a decision just to try and change momentum there coming around the third time of the top of the lineup and it didn't work quite the way we anticipate it."

After pitching a complete game in game one, Miranda Paul (5-3) added another win to her record after pitching seven innings in game two. Paul gave up nine hits, four runs (three earned) and tallied four strike outs.

Both teams posted one run each in the fourth inning as Berry singled to the left side to reach first and was sent home on Van Dyke's singled through the left side. UNCP grabbed another two runs in the fifth inning to give the Black and Gold the lead. Wilson singled up the middle before moving to second on Morgan Davis' single to centerfield. Hartley sent Wilson home and Davis to third until Berry registered an RBI for her sacrifice bunt to notch a run for Davis.

UNCP went up three runs in the sixth inning as Hobbs led off with a home run over the left field wall. Wingate was one out away from losing the game, until Brittany Owens doubled to left center. Owens scored on Alexis Burrell's single up the middle before Burrell score on Maffucci's mirrored played in her next at-bat. The winning run reached base on a single to centerfield and scored on the last hit of the game along the left field line. 

The Lady Braves were put in a similar situation with two outs and two runners on, but a fielder's choice to the third baseman surrendered the game to the Bulldogs.

The Black and Gold will host Chowan (2-8) on Saturday in a doubleheader set to begin at 12:00 p.m. at LRA Field.