WILKESBORO — The College of the Albemarle’s longest road trip of the season resulted in a long weekend for the Dolphins as they lost all three games at Wilkes Community College, which is located about 50 miles west of Winston-Salem.

On Saturday, COA pitchers were drubbed for 25 hits — including eight home runs — and Wilkes rolled to victories of 14-9 and 12-2.

Sunday, the Dolphins rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the final game of the series, but a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the frame gave the Cougars an 8-7 triumph.

“We didn’t pitch extremely well,” COA coach Norbie Wilson said by cell phone during the five-and-a-half-hour ride home Sunday. “And they had a lot of timely hits.”

Wilson described Wilkes’ field as “a bandbox” with the distance to the right field fence measuring just 305 feet, the left field fence located only 320 feet from home plate and the power alleys a mere 325 feet.

“Not only is it small, but the wind was blowing out Saturday,” Wilson said. “But I can’t take anything away from them. We played on the same field and didn’t hit a home run the whole weekend.”

Highlights were few and far between for the Dolphins Saturday. Kyle Carlson had two hits in Game One as Wilkes snapped a six-game losing streak and Tyler Barrington had a double and a triple in the second game, which was halted by the mercy rule after five innings.

Sunday was better as Josh Pryor stroked three hits and David Hughes two and COA rallied from a 7-3 deficit to a 7-7 tie in the ninth inning.

Hughes, Pryor and Matt Ittner singled in runs during the late rally and Jake Stone drew a bases-loaded walk to account for the fourth run. But Gavin Mizelle struck out with two out and the bases full to end the threat and Wilkes pushed across the winner in the last of the ninth.

The three defeats dropped COA to 10-7 in the conference and 17-14 overall.

The Dolphins make their last appearance of the season in Elizabeth City Wednesday when they host Lenoir CC at Knobbs Creek.

They close out their “home” schedule with a three-game series at Hicks Field in Edenton Saturday and Sunday and games at Manteo and First Flight May 1 and 2.

The games are being played at those sites as COA attempts to gain exposure for the baseball program at its Chowan and Dare County campuses.