WINGATE, N.C. - - Wingate kept its hope of a regular season South Atlantic Conference Baseball Championship alive with an 8-2 win over visiting UVA Wise Friday evening.

Wingate (27-16, 16-6 SAC) received eight solid innings from starter Mitch Farris and a pair of three-run homers to claim the series opener from UVA Wise (15-31, 4-18 SAC).

Farris improved to 10-1 on the year with the win but the hurler was in trouble in the second inning. The Cavaliers' Cole Harness doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third when Justin Reed singled a hitter later.

Farris then recorded one of his nine strikeouts on the evening before inducing an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

In the home half of the frame, the Bulldogs took a lead they would never relinquish when Carson Simpson homered over the centerfield fence for the game's first run.

Michael Dansky would belt a three-run homer in the home third to put Wingate in front 4-0 before Seaver King's three-run blast in the fourth gave the hosts a 7-0 advantage.

UVA Wise got on the board in the sixth when Gavin Birkhimer doubled to lead off the inning before scoring on a Wingate error.

The Bulldogs answered in the bottom portion of the inning by capitalizing on a Cav error to make it 8-1 heading to the seventh.

Harness would line his second extra-base hit of the game to start the frame, tripling down the right-field line. The junior would later score on an RBI groundout from Justin Reed for what would be the game's final run.

Farris scattered four hits while allowing a pair of runs over his eight innings of work. The left-hander did not issue a walk over his 90-pitch outing.

Harness had two of UVA Wise's four hits, Hunter Meador joined Birkhimer with a single hit to account for the guests' four hits.

King finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored while Dansky added a game-best four RBI for Wingate.

The Bulldogs will enter the final day of the regular season 1 1/2 games behind the Newberry Wolves for the regular season title. Newberry plays a doubleheader at Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday.

UVA Wise wraps up its regular season at Wingate with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.