Box Score
ASHEVILLE, NC – Matteo D'Angelo delivered his second straight eight inning performance on Saturday afternoon as the Winthrop Eagles defeated the UNC Asheville Bulldogs 15-3 at McCormick Field.
The Eagles even their record at 17-17 on the season and 5-6 in the conference, while the Bulldogs fall to 11-20 overall and 5-9 in conference play.
“It was a big game for us,” said head coach Joe Hudak. “We haven't had one of these in awhile. The bottom line is we swung the bats real well today.”
D'Angelo (4-3) allowed only one run on 10 hits, one walk and four strikeouts on the afternoon. Drew Spear (2-2) took the loss throwing 4.1 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
“Matteo threw real well today and commanded the strike zone,” Hudak added.
Winthrop jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on back-to-back hits by Sean Sullivan and Eddie Rohan. Sullivan led off the game with a double down the left field line and Rohan followed with an RBI single to center field.
The Eagles increased their lead to 4-0 after driving in three runs with two outs in the second inning. Chas Crane and Adam Gliebe started off the second drawing back-to-back four pitch walks, and Tyler McBride delivered the first run of the inning with his RBI single to right center field. Sullivan then drove in Gliebe with an RBI single and Crane would score on a throwing error by the center fielder.
Tyler Cook made it a 5-0 game in favor of Winthrop in the top of the fourth with his two-out RBI single to left field. Matt Pierpont came home on the hit after he led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on a wild pitch by Spear.
Winthrop added two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to add to its lead at 9-0. Patrick Gamblin homered for the second time this season in the fifth inning with Crane on base, while Rohan and Thielepape both posted RBI singles in the sixth.
The Eagles posted three more runs in the seventh inning highlighted by Sullivan's two RBI double down the right field line. Cook added an RBI single to left field two batters later.
UNC Asheville drove in its first run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning on C.A. Clayton's RBI double to center field that scored Danny Baatz from first base. Baatz started the inning with a single to right center field.
Thielepape's three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning raised Winthrop's lead to 15-1 that brought home Sullivan and Austen Barber. It was the fifth home run of the season for Thielepape. Sullivan singled with one out in the ninth and Barber provided pinch-hit walk prior to the long ball by Thielepape.
The Bulldogs drove in two runs in their half of the ninth on a two RBI double by Baatz scoring Jonny Eaker and Jordan Lurie. Eaker singled to right field in his at-bat, while Lurie hit into fielder's choice.
Sullivan went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with three RBI for the Eagles, while Thielepape had a team-high four runs batted in. Baatz and Eaker both had three hits apiece and Baatz added two RBI.
Winthrop and UNC Asheville will conclude the three-game series with a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday, Apr. 18.
