Box Score
CHAPEL HILL, NC—Winthrop reached seven North Carolina pitchers for a dozen hits, but the Eagles could not stop the UNC's offensive attack as they saw their four-game winning streak snapped in a 12-6 loss on Tuesday night to the 6th ranked Tar Heels at Boshamer Stadium.
Sophomore right fielder Patrick Gamblin had a big night at the plate for the Eagles as he went 4 for 5 and drove home four of the Eagles' six runs, but his performance was not nearly enough to lead Winthrop past UNC. The Eagles are now 14-14 overall while North Carolina moves to 27-4.
"The game got away from us in the sixth inning,” said Winthrop head coach Tom Riginos. “I thought offensively we had a good night. We had a couple of key two-out hits. We just need to make some pitches at key times and when you play a team like North Carolina you can't give up four-run innings like we did in the second and sixth."
The Eagles struck for a run in the first inning off Cody Stiles when Gamblin drove home Chas Crane who had reached base on a one-out walk and advanced to second when Eddie Rohan reached on a fielding error. Stiles got out of the inning when he got Brett Thomas to ground into a double play.
UNC touched up Winthrop starter Justin Hopper for four runs in the second inning after getting two outs. Hopper hit leadoff hitter Jacob Stallings who moved to second on a fielder's choice. He scored the tying run on a two-out single by DH Tom Zengel. Matt Roberts followed with a double to left center before right fielder Seth Baldwin cleared the based with a triple into the right field corner. Baldwin scored the fourth run of the inning on a single to left by Ben Bunting.
Winthrop made it a 4-2 game with a single run in the top of the third when Gamblin came through again with a RBI single that scored Crane from second base. Crane reached on a one-out single and moved into scoring position after Rohan walked. Tate Parrish came on to face Thomas with two runners on base and got Thomas to hit into his second inning ending double play.
The Tar Heels got the run back in their half of the third after second baseman Tommy Coyle singled to open the frame and stole second. He scored on a two-out triple down the right field line by left fielder Chaz Frank to give the Heels a 5-2 lead. Rob Brewer came on to pitch for Winthrop and was able to get the final out of the inning.
The Eagles made it a one-run game by plating two runs in the fourth inning. Adam Gliebe, who was named the Big South Conference Co-Player of the Week for his performance last weekend at High Point, led off the inning with a triple down the right field line. TJ Olesczuk walked with one out to give the Eagles runners on the corners. Tyler Cook answered with a two-out single scoring Gliebe from third. Olesczuk came home on a RBI single by Crane to cut the UNC lead to 5-4.
UNC took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth after Brewer hit leadoff hitter Baldwin with a pitch and then issued a walk to Bunting. Tommy Lawrence then came on to relieve Brewer on the mound. He loaded the bases by issuing a walk to Stallings. Lawrence then got Coyle on an RBI groundout to second base that scored Baldwin. The sophomore right hander got out of further trouble by striking out Colin Moran and getting Frank to ground out.
Neither team scored in the fifth, but Winthrop tied things up in the top of the sixth inning when it scored twice after two outs off UNC southpaw R.C. Orlan. Cook got the rally going with a single to right and he moved to third on Crane's hit to right centerfield. Greg Holt then was called on to pitch and he walked Rohan to load the bases. Gamblin then came through again with a two-run single before Holt got Thomas on strikes to end the inning.
The Tar Heels again answered Winthrop as they erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take control of the game with a 10-6 lead. UNC touched up Winthrop reliever Kenny Monteith for four hits in the inning. Zengel came up with the big hit, a 2-RBI triple to right center that capped the four-run inning.
Winthrop loaded the bases in the seventh inning following back-to-back singles by Gliebe and Matt Lobacz and a walk to Cook, but Michael Morin came to the mound in relief of Holt and got Crane to ground out to end the threat.
UNC put the game out of reach with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings . Gamblin collected his fourth hit of the game in the eighth inning, but was erased on a double play grounder and the Eagles went down in order in the ninth.
The Eagles will return to The Winthrop Ballpark on Wednesday evening when they host The Citadel at 6 p.m.
