AUGUSTA, Ga.  – The Jaguars hosted their second nationally-ranked team this week and battled from early deficits in both games to sweep No. 13 Wingate 4-1 and 3-2 on Tuesday afternoon at Jaguar Field.

The fourth inning of game one had the first scoring of the day, when Wingate (10-8) catcher Taylor Laskey knocked a solo homerun to left field for a 1-0 advantage.

GRU Augusta (13-3) got even with a long ball to center from Brooke Stephens to knot the game 1-1. Caitlyn Glenn reached on a single in the next at bat and Ashley Benton came in to pinch run. Benton tagged on a fly ball to right field later in the inning and scored on a muffed throw from the Wingate third basemen for a 2-1 swing.

GRU shortstop Brianna Dickens cleared the bases with a double down the right-field line in the sixth to score Stephens and Hannah Vaughn and build the lead to 4-1.

Junior Paige Deschaine (7-1) struck out eight in her eighth start of the year and got the win in another complete-game performance on the mound. The Jags had six hits in game one to Wingate's three and were paced by Stephens' 3-3 day with an RBI and scored run. Dickens went 2-3 with two RBI.

In game two, the Bulldogs loaded the bases after two singles and a walk, but GRU lefty Haley Birkle (6-2) escaped the inning with a well-placed changeup for a swinging strikeout.

Laskey lifted Wingate to another lead with her second homer of the day, this one to right field for a 1-0 advantage in the third. Melenna Helms also homered to right field for the Bulldogs in the fourth and pushed the Bulldogs ahead 2-0.

The Jags left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, but they loaded them again in the fifth and made it count. Senior Hannah Vaughn belted a triple to centerfield and cleared the bases to steal a 3-2 lead.

The Jags outlasted Wingate for the one-run victory behind Birkle's seven innings of work pitching. Stephens went 2-2 again and Walton and Vaughn added one hit each.

GRU travels for the first time this season to play a non-conference doubleheader at Erskine March 11 at 2:00 p.m.

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