Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop baseball team completed a series-opening doubleheader against the Presbyterian Blue Hose on Saturday afternoon in Big South Conference action. The Eagles won the first game 15-12 and followed that up with a 4-0 win in game two.
Winthrop improves to 21-20 on the season and 9-8 in the conference, while the Blue Hose fall to 11-30 overall and 3-14 in conference play.
Tyler Mizenko (2-3) came on in relief in the eighth inning and picked up the victory on the mound in game one pitching 2.0 scoreless innings on one hit, no walks and two strikeouts. Jordan Pace (1-3) took the loss tossing 2.0 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
Game one was controlled by both offenses as the Eagles and Presbyterian combined for 27 runs on 39 hits in the opener. A total of six home runs were hit in the game, with four coming from Winthrop and two by the Blue Hose.
The Eagles fell behind 1-0 in the second inning after a solo homer by Tony Micklon, but responded with four runs over the course of the next two innings highlighted by Max Vogel's two RBI double to right center field in the second and a solo home run by Chas Crane in the third inning. The long ball was Crane's eighth of the season.
Winthrop tacked on three more runs heading into the fifth inning to increase its lead to 7-1. Patrick Gamblin, Tyler McBride and Eddie Rohan all posted solo homers in the third inning.
Presbyterian trimmed the Eagles lead to 7-6 after a five-run fifth inning when Aaron Preston homered to start the scoring. Kenny Bryant added an RBI single, and Micklon and Nate Horton also had an RBI each.
Winthrop answered back with a run in the fifth inning and three in the sixth to make it an 11-6 game. McBride drove in Max Vogel with an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth, and Matt Pierpont and Gamblin brought in all three runs in the sixth inning. Pierpont posted an RBI single and Gamblin had a two-run single to center field.
The Blue Hose cut the Eagles deficit to 11-10 heading into the bottom of the seventh after Preston and Gabe Grammer each had two RBI hits in the inning. Winthrop would add a run in its half of the seventh when Crane singled to right field.
Presbyterian then tied the game at 12-12 in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Horton and Micklon scored when Jeff Tatum hit into a double play, but the Eagles scored three go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 15-12 lead. Adam Gliebe drove in one with a single and Sean Sullivan followed with a two RBI single.
Gamblin went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate for Winthrop in game one with three RBI and tied a school record for hits in a game. Horton posted a team-best four hits in the opener for the Blue Hose and Preston had three RBI.
Matteo D'Angelo (6-3) earned his first career complete game in the doubleheader finale giving up only three hits, one walk and six strikeouts. It is the fifth straight appearance for the right-hander in which he has pitched 7.0 innings or more. Chris Powell (6-3) pitched 7.0 innings and surrendered four runs on four hits, two walks and six strikeouts to take the loss.
“Obviously, what can you say about Matteo D'Angelo,” said head coach Joe Hudak following game two. “He did a tremendous job tonight. He had all of his pitches working.”
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fourth when Rohan hit a solo home run to left field for his second of the day and 11th of the season.
Winthrop would break the game open in the seventh inning when Matt Thielepape, Gliebe and Vogel each drove in a run to go ahead 4-0.
D'Angelo allowed one Presbyterian batter past second base in game two, which came in the ninth inning when the Blue Hose picked up two of their three hits on the night.
“It was a great day for us,” Hudak added. “We won two games in two different ways. We just have to take care of our business tomorrow.”
Rohan had a team-high two hits in game two and was one of four players to have one RBI. Bryant, Micklon and Matt Hill had the three hits for Presbyterian in the doubleheader finale.
The Eagles and Blue Hose will wrap up the series on Sunday, May 2 at 2 p.m.
