HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker University baseball team picked up their second South Atlantic Conference victory of the season, defeating the Wingate University Bulldogs by a score of 8-6 on Friday (Feb. 28).

The Cobras were able to jump out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Casey Demko, Grant Thompson, and Harrison Morris all came through with RBI hits to give Coker the lead. Michael DeLeo had a great day on the mound, throwing seven strong innings while striking out seven Bulldog hitters.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Grant Thompson extended the Coker lead to 5-2 with an RBI single through the right side. The Cobras were able to break the game open in the next inning as Demko and Morris each picked up their third hits of the day, making it an 8-2 lead.

After Drake Knight threw a scoreless eighth inning, Wingate started a ninth inning rally to trim the deficit to 8-6. However, Griffin Hollifield came in and got the final outs as the Cobras held on for the victory. Grant Thompson, Casey Demko, and Harrison Morris led the way offensively with three hits. Bryan Castillo had two hits at the plate, and caught a good game behind the dish to help guide the Coker pitchers through a tough Wingate lineup.

McDonald's Player of the Game – Michael DeLeo

The Cobras will be back in action on Saturday (Feb. 29) when they resume this weekend's series against Wingate. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., with live coverage available at www.cokercobras.com.