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Patrick Gamblin waits on pitch

Gamblin’s Walk Off Single Propels Winthrop To 7-6 Victory Over VMI In 10 Innings

Gamblin Came Through Saturday With Game-Winning Hit In 10th

Eagle Pitching Allows No Walks For Second Consecutive Game

Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – Sophomore Patrick Gamblin drove in Brett Thomas with two outs on his first career walk off base hit as the Winthrop Eagles defeated the VMI Keydets in a come-from-behind victory 7-6 in 10 innings on Saturday afternoon at The Winthrop Ballpark.

The Eagles, 9-8 overall and 2-0 in the Big South, increase their winning streak to three games for the second time this season. The Keydets fall to 9-10-1 on the season and 0-2 in conference play.

“We weren't very good last night at manufacturing runs, but today we were better,” said head coach Tom Riginos. “That was the key in that we were more efficient today. Our situational hitting was very good.”

Tommy Lawrence (1-1) earned the win tossing 2.1 innings and giving up just one run on four hits, no walks and one strikeout. The Winthrop pitching staff as a whole has now surrendered no walks in two straight contests. John Garrett (1-1) took the loss allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work.

The Eagles fell behind in the top of the tenth when Rob Dickinson recorded a two-out RBI double off Lawrence into the left center field gap. Alex Haitsuka scored on the double after he singled two batters earlier.

The game-winning single by Gamblin followed Chas Crane coming home on a wild pitch by Michael Devine to tie the score at 7-7. Crane began Winthrop's bottom-half portion of the tenth with a bunt single in front of third base and moved to third on a single by Thomas. Thomas used heads-up base running by advancing to second on a throwing error by Dickinson in center field. He would move over to third on the wild pitch.

The Eagles struck first in the bottom of the first inning driving in two runs against VMI starter Jason Farley. The inning was highlighted by an RBI double to left field by Thomas, who plated Eddie Rohan as he reached on a fielding error earlier in the inning by Sam Roberts. Adam Gliebe scored on the error by Roberts for the first run of the inning.

Winthrop added to its lead at 3-0 with one run in the third inning on Tyler Cook's RBI single to right field.

The Keydets responded with three runs of their own in the top of the third inning to tie the game at 3-3. Roberts brought in Justin Topping for the first run of the third on his RBI single, and later scored on a two-run homer to left field by Graham Sullivan.

VMI would take a 5-3 lead after scoring one run each in the fifth and sixth innings. Justin Hess's first home run of the season was the lone run in the fifth inning, while Dickinson drove in George Piccirilli with an RBI single to right field with one out.

The Eagles answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the contest back up at 5-5. They began the inning with Matt Lobacz recording a single to right field and a walk by Gamblin. Both would advance one base each after a sacrifice bunt by Cam Walters. Cook's second RBI of the contest brought in Lobacz, and Gliebe's RBI sacrifice fly to left field scored Gamblin.

Cook, Thomas, Lobacz and Gamblin all had two hits each to lead Winthrop offensively, while Cook had a team-high two RBI. Six Keydet hitters had two hits apiece on the afternoon, and Sullivan and Dickinson had two RBI.

The Eagles and VMI will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday, Mar. 20 with a 1 p.m. matchup.

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