WINGATE – Wingate scored 11 runs on 17 hits behind a seven-armed pitching staff, and then held off a ninth-inning rally by fifth-ranked UNCP to snap a nine-year losing streak to the Braves with an 11-9 upset victory over the visitors on Wednesday evening at Ron Christopher Stadium.

The setback snapped a 14-game series winning streak for UNCP (14-6) who has now lost three-straight games for the first time since March 27-April 1, 2010. Wingate (12-11) matched a season-high with its third-straight win, while also grabbing its first victory over the Black & Gold since April 17, 2003.

Aaron Parnell drove in a pair of runs and walked twice on a 2-for-3 outing to lead the Braves, while Brad Bridgeman plated a run and scored once on a 2-for-5 night. Josh Haley singled, walked three times and scored a trio of runs for the Braves as well. Wingate got multi-hit nights from five different players, including Jason Hunter who homered and drove in five runs on a perfect 4-for-4 plate exhibition. All-American Dodson McPherson hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season to earmark a 3-for-4 night at the plate.

UNCP stranded 17 runners on the base paths, including 11 in scoring position. The Bulldogs left 12 standing on the bags, seven of whom were in scoring position.

Brantley Hattrich (3-2), the third of four relievers on the night for UNCP, saddled his second loss of the season after allowing two earned runs on one hit and a walk in two innings from the hill. Kyle Brady (1-1), the second of six relievers for the Bulldogs, grabbed the win after striking out three and yielding just one hit in 2-1/3 innings of work.

Wingate issued a season-high 15 free passes on the night, including 14 walks. Three different Wingate pitchers tallied at least three walks, including starter Greyson Davis who allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and five walks in the first four innings. Brady finished with a trio of walks, while Josh Karr nearly let the lead slip away in the ninth after surrendering one hit and three more walks.

The Braves scored a pair of runs to tie the game for the last time in the top of the fifth, as Wingate used a three-run eighth to take an 11-7 lead into the final frame. UNCP loaded the bases with its first three at-bats in the ninth and scored runs on a sac fly from Parnell, as well as a costly wild pitch but, after walking the bases loaded with consecutive two-out free passes, Karr froze Dalton Knight on a called strike three to seal the outcome.

UNCP will step back into Peach Belt Conference play this weekend when it heads to Milledgeville, Ga., for a three-game series against Georgia College (10-9, 3-3 PBC) at John Kurtz Field. The squads will open up the weekend with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and close out the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.