CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Wofford baseball team led the majority of the way Tuesday evening at Hayes Park, but the Charlotte 49ers rallied late to secure a 3-2 victory over the Terriers. Wofford falls to 6-2 with the result while Charlotte improves to 5-4.
 
Terrier reliever Alec Bouchard (0-1) suffered the loss after pitching 2.0 innings with three runs allowed on two hits and a walk with a strikeout. Braden Hofmeyer started and went 3.0 innings deep with just a hit and walk surrendered. Camden Wicker bridged the gap between Hofmeyer and Bouchard with 3.0 scoreless frames of his own, tossing three punchouts and allowing just two hits and two walks.
 
Charlotte reliever Ryan Degges (1-0) notched the win with a scoreless inning of work, and Tony Rossi (2) earned the save for the 49ers after a scoreless ninth inning.
 
Wofford recorded six hits in the contest, half of which came from Dixon Black. He added one of the three Terrier steals. Marshall Toole recorded two hits, and Tyler Hare owned the other. Hare's hit was a solo home run, his third of the campaign. Toole added a stolen base. Andrew Mannelly, Gunnar Johnson and Tyler Bak all reached once via the walk. Johnson swiped a base, and Bak started in left field for his first-career start.
 
Wofford took advantage of a Charlotte miscue in the third inning to take an early lead. After back-to-back singles put runners on the corners, a passed ball scooted away from the 49er catcher to allow Dixon Black to race home for Wofford's first run. The Terriers led 1-0.
 
In the bottom of the third, the 49ers looked to respond by loading the bases with no outs, but the Terrier defense held firm. A fly ball to right looked poised to even the contest, but Andrew Mannelly made sure it was not scored a sacrifice fly by delivering a dart of a throw to nail the runner. Braden Hofmeyer induced another fly to right to escape the jam unscathed.
 
Wofford added another in the top of the fourth when Tyler Hare ripped a solo home run over the right field wall to make the score 2-0.
 
That is where the margin stood for four innings with both pitching staffs staying firm on the mound. But in the bottom of the eighth, Charlotte broke through. A single and walk put two on for the 49ers, and a home run plated three runs to give Charlotte a 3-2 lead.
 
The Terriers were unable to respond in the top of the ninth with the momentum swinging over to the 49ers' side, and the final score remained 3-2 in Charlotte's favor.
 
Wofford will return home this weekend to host Fordham for three games. The series opens with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch on Friday, March 1. All three games will take place at Russell C. King Field.