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Brett Thomas Rounds Second Base

Baseball Rallies For 7-6 Victory Over Presbyterian College

Pierpont Picks Up Third Win Of Season; Ruth Earns Fourth Save

Box Score

CLINTON, SC – The Winthrop baseball team came back from four runs down on Saturday afternoon to defeat the Presbyterian College Blue Hose 7-6 at the PC Baseball Complex.

The Eagles improve to 23-25 overall and 11-9 in the Big South, while the Blue Hose fall to 19-28 on the season and 4-16 in conference play.

“It was a game in which we squandered some situations early,” said head coach Tom Riginos. “We had the bases loaded twice with no outs and only got one run out of it.”

Matt Pierpont (3-3) picked up the victory on the mound tossing 3.1 scoreless innings of relief on two hits, one walk and two strikeouts. Chandler Knox (3-4) took the loss surrendering four runs (three earned) on four hits, no walks and no strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work. Eric Ruth (4) earned the save pitching 1.0 inning and gave up one run on one hit, no walks and no strikeouts.

“Matt did an unbelievable job today,” said Riginos. “He competes on the mound and gives us a chance to win.”

Winthrop went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first on an RBI sacrifice fly to center field by Matt Lobacz that scored Tyler Cook from third base. Cook started the game with a single to center field and moved to third on back-to-back walks by Chas Crane and Eddie Rohan.

Presbyterian College tied the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single to right field by Nate Horton. Mack Hite came home on the single as he was hit by a pitch in his at-bat.

The Blue Hose then took a 5-1 lead scoring four runs in the bottom of the third against Eagle starter Robert Lake. Hite scored the first run of the inning on a failed pickoff attempt at third base by Lake, and Horton followed with his second RBI single of the day to right field. Gabe Grammer and Kenny Bryant also added an RBI each in the third.

Winthrop trimmed its deficit to 5-3 heading into the sixth inning by plating one run each in the fourth and fifth. Brett Thomas provided the lone run in the top of the fourth with his solo home run to left center field for his second of the season. Rohan posted an RBI single with no outs in the fifth inning after the Eagles began the inning with three straight singles. Cook and Crane had the other two hits to start the fifth.

Thomas highlighted a four-run seventh inning for Winthrop with a three RBI double scoring Rohan, TJ Olesczuk and Matt Lobacz. The Eagles took a 7-5 lead after the seventh as Adam Gliebe brought home Thomas with his RBI sacrifice fly to left field after the double by Thomas.

Presbyterian College only scored one run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Grammer, but had runners at first and third when Cook made a diving stop to his left on a ball hit by Bryant for the final out of the game.

“That's what you ask for from a senior,” Riginos said. “You need guys to step up in big situations and that was a big play by Tyler.”

Four different Eagle hitters had two hits apiece on the afternoon, while Thomas recorded a team-high four RBI. Hite and Horton posted three hits each for the Blue Hose, and Horton and Grammer had two RBI.

Winthrop and Presbyterian College will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday, May 8 at 1 p.m.
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