FOREST CITY, N.C. --- The Wingate University baseball team rallied from a pair of three-run deficits as the second-seeded Bulldogs edged No. 5 seed Tusculum College 8-7 in opening day action of the 2014 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The four-day, six-team double-elimination tournament is being held at McNair Field.

With the win, Wingate (29-14) advances in the winner's bracket to take on the winner of the Lincoln Memorial University/Newberry College game on Friday. Tusculum (26-20) will face No. 6 seed Anderson University in a noon elimination contest on Friday.

Trailing 7-4 after six-and-a-half innings, Wingate plated two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to take its first lead of the day. In the eighth, Justin Somer drove in the tying run with a double and Eric Serra followed with a RBI single to give the Bulldogs an 8-7 advantage. Reliever Brandon Donahue retired the side in order in the ninth to secure the victory.

Shane Billings led the Bulldogs with his 3-for-4 performance as he finished with two RBI and a run scored. Thomas Spitz added two hits, while Tyler Simmons went 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Tusculum senior Trey Drewery went 3-for-5, including his three-run homer in the first inning to spot the Pioneers to a 3-0 advantage. For Drewery, it was his fourth round-tripper of the year.

All-SAC second baseman Vinny Ferrara went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, while All-Conference standouts Taylor Foster and John Topoleski tallied two hits each in the loss.

Donahue (3-1) picked up the victory retiring all six batters he would face, including three strikeouts. TC reliever Clark Ayers (3-3) suffered the loss.

The Wingate win snaps a five-game losing streak to Tusculum in SAC Tournament play, a string of games dating back to 2005.

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