PEMBROKE – Nick Debo and Ethan Baucom each hit home runs in a five-run fifth inning, and right-hander Jesse Stinnett turned in seven solid innings from the mound to help the UNC Pembroke baseball team down Wingate, 7-3, in the first half of a home-and-home series on Tuesday evening at Sammy Cox Field.
 
It was the second-straight victory for the Braves (18-9) who improved to 30-17 all-time against their U.S. 74 rivals. The Bulldogs (13-16), who have now dropped seven-straight games, fell to 4-11 away from home this season.
 
Baucom hit a pair of four-baggers and drove in four runs to highlight a 2-for-4 night at the plate, while Luke Jackson (2-for-4) doubled and scored to earmark a multi-hit showing as well. Wingate got nine of their 13 hits on the night from the first two hitters in its batting order as Zach Little doubled in a run and scored once on a 5-for-5 hitting line and leadoff hitter Ty Andrus tallied a 4-for-4 performance.
 
Stinnett (3-3) struck out six and scattered eight hits over a season-long seven innings from the hill to grab the victory for the Black & Gold. Jimmy Doolittle (0-1) saddled the loss for the Bulldogs after yielding three earned runs on one hit and a pair of walks in 2-2/3 innings of work.
 
A leadoff walk by Roberto Rivera, a groundout and two wild pitches by Doolittle would help the hosts light up the scoreboard first, but the Braves pushed their lead out to 6-0 in the third thanks to a 2-run bomb from Debo and a 3-run dinger from Baucom three batters later.
 
Wingate trimmed its deficit in half with a lone score in the fifth and two more in the eighth, but Baucom gave UNCP an insurance run in the home half of the eighth with a solo blast to left.
 
The Braves will continue an eight-game home stand this weekend when they lace up to take on top-ranked and Peach Belt Conference-leading North Georgia (21-4, 8-1 PBC) in a three-game series at Sammy Cox Field.