Wingate, N.C. – Charleston Baseball dropped their season opener on Thursday night to Wingate by a final score of 8-1.
 
The bulldogs struck first in the bottom of the third inning. Starting pitcher Ethan Soderna surrendered a walk to leadoff hitter Michael Dansky and paid immediately after Seaver King hit a home run to centerfield in the next at bat. King would strike again the next inning, doubling home Wingate's third run on a ball in the right center gap.
 
Charleston would get their first and only run of the night in the fifth inning. Drew Klaserner led off the inning with a walk and was moved to second on a sac-bunt by Andre Martinez. Drew Beckner would score Klaserner with a single up the middle to bring the score to 3-1. UC threatened with runners on second and third with one out in the frame, but couldn't capitalize and ended the rally with just one run.
 
Soderna would exit in the sixth inning working 5.2 innings with 8 strikeouts allowing four earned. He handed the ball over to Andrew Gormley in the sixth who allowed one of the inherited runners to score on a single up the middle by Wingate's King. Gormley's night ended after giving up a grand slam to Andrew Motsinger in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Zane Lattig finished the game tossing 1.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out three.
 
UC bats struggled in the opener scraping across just one run on three hits and striking out 21 times. Brayden McCallister reached base twice via the walk. Drew Beckner was the only Golden Eagle to have multiple hits, going 2-4 with an RBI. Kyle West hit a double in the top of the sixth inning, the only extra base hit for Charleston on the evening.
 
They will face off again on Friday night with first pitch set for 6 pm at Ron Christopher Stadium.