Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
FOREST CITY, NC – The Winthrop baseball team was defeated by the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs 3-1 and 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at McNair Field in Big South Conference action. The Runnin' Bulldogs finish a three-game weekend sweep of the Eagles.
Winthrop's record falls to 13-14 overall and 1-5 in the Big South, while Gardner-Webb improves to 15-12 on the season and 5-1 in conference play.
“Obviously, this is a heart-breaker,” said head coach Joe Hudak following the game two defeat. “Our kids are playing hard, but we just didn't get it done. In these two games today I thought we got great pitching performances. We just didn't score any runs.”
Robert Lake (4-2) suffered the loss in game one tossing 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on five hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Michael Hanzlik (2-1) earned the win surrendering one run on four hits, one walk and no strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. Jeff Howell (1) picked up the save pitching a scoreless 2.0 innings and gave up one walk.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard in the first inning on Chas Crane's RBI single to center field that scored Matt Thielepape from second. Thielepape walked prior to the hit by Crane and would steal second.
The Runnin' Bulldogs scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the fifth on a three RBI single into the right center field gap by Daniel Merck to take a 3-1 lead. Ty Boyles, Adam McFarland and Benji Jackson all came home on the hit by Merck.
Tyler McBride had a team-high two hits for Winthrop in the first game and Crane drove in the only run. Five different Gardner-Webb players had one hit apiece in the contest, while Merck had all three RBI.
In game two, Tyler Mizenko took the loss throwing 1.1 innings and gave up two runs on three hits, one walk and no strikeouts. Adam Izokovic (4-1) hurled 1.1 scoreless innings of relief and allowed one hit to pick up the victory.
The Eagles struck quickly in the top of the first on Crane's RBI single to right center field that plated Tyler Cook. Cook led off the game with a single.
Winthrop added another run in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead on an RBI single to center field by Thielepape that drove in Eddie Rohan. Rohan doubled off the left center field wall two batters earlier.
The Runnin' Bulldogs cut the deficit to 2-1 in their half of the third after Jackson scored on a wild pitch by Eagle starter Matteo D'Angelo. Jackson had a leadoff double to right field in the inning and advanced to third on a groundout by Merck.
Winthrop increased its lead to 3-1 in the top of the eighth after Rohan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Adam Gliebe would score as he began the inning with a walk and moved to third after Tyler Donovan drew a walk and McBride was hit by a pitch.
Gardner-Webb made it 3-2 in the eighth when Merck drove in Adam McFarland with his RBI groundout. McFarland doubled to start the inning.
Merck would drive in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth with his RBI single off Mizenko to center field. McFarland also had an RBI to tie the game when he hit into a fielder's choice.
“We're all hurting,” Hudak added. “We just have to keep working and somehow get it done.”
Rohan and Thielepape had two hits and an RBI apiece for the Eagles in game two, and Crane also had an RBI. Jake Watts had a 4-for-4 performance for the Runnin Bulldogs and Merck had a team-best two RBI.
Winthrop will be back in action on Wednesday, Apr. 7 as it hosts The Citadel at 6 p.m. in a non-conference matchup.
