DALLAS - Down 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning, the Wofford baseball team capitalized on a plethora of Dallas Baptist defensive mistakes, including two errors, to claim the lead and ultimately the 8-5 win over the 18^th-ranked team in the nation. With the result at Horner Ballpark Friday night, the Terriers improve to 19-8 and extend their winning streak to seven. The Patriots slip to 16-9.
 
The victory is Wofford's first over a ranked opponent since downing #14 Auburn on the road 4-3 on March 11, 2020 in what was the untimely final game of that season as the rest of the campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The seven-game winning streak is the longest of the season for the Terriers and their first of that length since winning the final seven of that 2020 season (Feb. 22 – March 11).
 
The contest was the first-ever meeting between the two programs, as the Terriers now own a 1-0 advantage in both the weekend series and the all-time series. The triumph is also the first-ever win at the Division I level in the state of Texas for Wofford, who was previously 0-5.
 
Holden Wilder (5-0) remains perfect in relief by earning the win in 2.0 innings of work. He held the Patriots scoreless, allowing just two hits and two walks with a strikeout. Dom Marcoccio started for the Terriers, tossing 2.2 innings and surrendering four runs with three punchouts. Lucas Mahlstedt was the first reliever, going 1.1 scoreless frames with a walk and a strikeout and only two hits. Next was Wilder before he gave way to Luke Stephens for 0.1 innings of no-run ball with one hit, walk and strikeout. Dalton Rhadans (5) earned the save after hurling the final 2.2 innings. He allowed only a run with two hits and one walk while punching out two.
 
Dallas Baptist reliever Bubba Hall (2-2) was credited with the loss after 1.1 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on a hit and a walk.
 
Dallas Baptist held a slight hit advantage, 12-11, but Wofford made more of its opportunities. The Patriots stranded 13 runners on base, leaving the bases loaded three times, while the Terriers left eight runners on. The Wofford defense was clean, committing no errors as opposed to two defensive mishaps by Dallas Baptist.
 
Ryan Galanie and Nolen Hester each tallied three-hit games with an RBI apiece. Two of Galanie's base knocks were doubles. John Dempsey and Jack Renwick both posted two-hit performances with an RBI each. Dempsey's hits extend his on-base streak to 14 games, and he reached base a third time by way of a free pass while scoring three times. Renwick scored twice. Brice Martinez also tallied a hit and scored a run. Brennen Dorighi went hitless but was the only Terrier with multiple RBI, driving home two. Wofford worked five walks, with Lawson Hill securing two of them.
 
The Terriers did not need long to get on the board, scoring in the top of the first inning. After two quick outs, Jack Renwick reached base with a single, and Ryan Galanie laced a double to left to put two runners in scoring position. Back-to-back walks to Lawson Hill and Brennen Dorighi would plate Renwick for the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Patriots would respond in the bottom of the second, pulling ahead with two runs of their own. The lead-off batter singled and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch, tying the ballgame. After a walk, a Patriot triple brought home the go-ahead run, putting Dallas Baptist in front 2-1.
 
DBU doubled its run total with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the third, making the score 4-1 in favor of the Patriots.
 
Wofford bounced back to pull within one run in the top of the fifth. Brice Martinez started the frame off with a single to center field. A groundout advanced him to second, from which he would score when John Dempsey ripped a double into center field. Galanie then dropped a single into center on a 3-0 count to score Dempsey, and that cut Wofford's deficit to 4-3.
 
Dallas Baptist handed the lead back to Wofford in the top of the seventh, as the Terriers took advantage of Patriot miscues to push across four runs. An error, walk and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out, at which point Hill reached on another error that allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score. A wild pitch moved the two runners up a base, each now in scoring position, where a groundout by Dorighi plated one more. The seventh batter of the inning was Nolen Hester, who singled to center for Wofford's first and only hit of the inning to bring home that fourth run. After the defensive implosion by Dallas Baptist, Wofford stood in front 7-4 at the seventh inning stretch.
 
With a Renwick double to left field in the top of the eighth, the Terriers tacked on an insurance run to extend the lead to 8-4.
 
The Patriots immediately got that run back with a home run to left center. They threatened for more by getting a runner to third with one out, but an excellent throw behind the runner by Hill from behind the plate picked the Patriot off to help limit the damage and hold the score to 8-5.
 
The margin would stand there, as Dalton Rhadans held firm in the ninth to close the door and secure the ranked win in game one for Wofford over Dallas Baptist, 8-5.
 
Game two of the series is set for a 3:00 p.m. ET first pitch tomorrow afternoon. The game will be streamed live on the Patriot Broadcasting Network and feature a pitching matchup of RHP Luke Eldred for the #18 Patriots against RHP Josh Vitus of the Terriers.