JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Both starting pitchers hurled complete games as the Wingate Bulldogs (25-14, 17-7 South Atlantic Conference) topped the Carson-Newman Eagles (20-22, 11-14 SAC) 5-3 Friday afternoon at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex. 

"I thought our defense played very well," head coach Tom Griffin said after the game. "Olen Little did a great job keeping guys off balance and changing speed on his fastball. I think offensively we just did not have the type of approaches that we had talked about." 

Eagle starter Dustin Dunagan (Winder, Ga.) retired the first two batters of the first inning before allowing a single to centerfielder Thomas Spitz. With Spitz on the move, catcher Josh Clark just missed a home run to left center field and settled for a double to bring home Spitz and put the visiting team on top 1-0. 

Carson-Newman responded in the bottom of the third inning. Junior centerfielder Evan Kirkpatrick (Jefferson City, Tenn.) laced a double down the right field line. With one out, senior second basemen Peter Rajkovich (Stockton, Calif.) bounced a ball over the third basemen's head. Sophomore third basemen Brandon Roberts (Davie, Fla.) drove home both runners with a single back up the middle putting the Eagles on top 2-1. 

Dunagan had retired six straight batters until a string of five consecutive hits gave Wingate a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning. With two men on base, rightfielder Eric Serra clubbed his fifth long ball of the season well over the right field fence. After Spitz singled, Clark delivered his second RBI double of the game to cap a four-run fifth inning. 

The Eagles were able to get a run back in the bottom of the fifth frame. With two outs, Rajkovich singled and advanced to second base on a fielding error by leftfielder Justin Somers. Roberts tallied his third hit of the day with a solid single back up the middle to plate Rajkovich and make it a 5-3 deficit. 

Roberts notched his fourth three-hit game of the season by going 3-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in. Rajkovich collected his tenth multi-hit game of the season as he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. 

Dunagan fired his second nine-inning complete game of the season allowing five earned runs on ten hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. The senior threw 140 pitches and lost for the fourth straight start falling to 2-6 on the season. 

Wingate starting pitcher Olen Little went the distance to earned his eighth victory of the season. Little allowed three earned runs on ten hits with six strikeouts and no walks. 

"Offensively, we have to take care of some opportunities," Griffin said about tomorrow. "We need to get some two-out hits. I think we are going to get opportunities. You may not get three or four opportunities tomorrow. You may only get one and you have to make it count." 

The two programs will duel once again Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader beginning at noon. 

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