WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Winston-Salem State Rams scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, to outlast the Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne 6-1, Tuesday night at a cold BB&T Ballpark in in Winston-Salem. 

With the win WSSU improves to 11-5 overall, while Lenoir-Rhyne falls to 4-15.

Lenoir-Rhyne broke into the scoring column first, when in the third inning, Brandon Walker would single scoring Mike Gasque to give the Bear a 1-0 lead. 

But Winston-Salem State would answer in the bottom half of the third, after Rafael Gonzalez singled to center field, followed by a Ray Crawford double, scoring Gonzalez from first base.

Neither team throughout the middle innings could get anything worthwhile in scoring position until the sixth when the Bears were able to load the bases, but Eric Corlett would get the final out on a strikeout before LR could muster a run. 

Winston-Salem State would break the game open in the bottom of the eighth, when they were able to score five runs. Ray Crawford started the inning by reaching on an error by the first baseman, who dropped the ball on the throw. Jacob Barber would walk  and Levi Grassley would reach on a bunt single that the pitcher could not get to in time.

After a pitching change from Lenoir-Rhyne, Conner Andrus would single home the go ahead run. With the bases loaded, Aaron Hatch would walk followed by a two-run error on a hit from Devin McLemore. A Rafael Gonzalez single would bring home Devin McLemore to give the Rams a 6-1 lead heading into the ninth inning.

Winston-Salem State's closer, Devin McLemore, would sit the Bears down one-two-three in the ninth to give the Rams the win. 

For the Rams, Rafael Gonzalez finished three for four with a run scored and a run batted in, while Levi Grassley finished two for three with a run scored. Leland Clemmons went one for four, while Conner Andrus also went one for four, but scored a run and also drove in a run. Ray Crawford went one for five with a run scored and a run batted in, and Devin McLemore finished zero for three with two runs batted in and a run scored. Aaron Hatch also went zero for three but had an rbi. Jacob Barber went zero for three but scored a run.

Eric Corlett picked up the win for WSSU in relief, going 3 ^1/3 innings, striking out two. Austin Comesanas started for the Rams and went 4^2/3 innings, striking out four but walking five and allowing one run. Devin McLemore pitched a scoreless, hitless ninth. 

Lenoir-Rhyne's Brantley Rumford, Brandon Walker, David Newcomer and josh Murphy each had a hit, while Mike Gasque scored the only run for the Bears. Brandon Walker drove in that only run.

Winston-Salem State will hit the road on Saturday for a four game weekend series with the Virginia State Trojans in Petersburg, VA. Saturday and Sunday's double headers with begin at 1:00 p.m.