Box Score Box Score

ATHENS, GA – The Winthrop baseball team fell to the ninth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 13-5 on Friday evening at Foley Field in the first game of a three-game non-conference series.

The Eagles fall to 0-5 overall, while the Bulldogs improve their record to 5-0 on the season.

Alex Wood (2-0) allowed four runs on eight hits, one walk and five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work to earn the win on the mound. Matt Pierpont (0-2) took the loss pitching 6.0 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Pierpont's seven strikeouts against Georgia ties his career-high, which was previously set on Mar. 20, 2010 in a 14-13 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in Rock Hill.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Winthrop in the bottom of the first inning on RBI hits from Kyle Farmer and Levi Hyams. Farmer doubled with one out in the inning and Hyams followed two batters later with a single. Georgia extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning when Hunter Cole recorded an RBI double off the center field wall scoring Farmer from first base.

The Eagles would plate four runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-3 over the Bulldogs highlighted by a two RBI single to center field by Matt Lobacz. Leighton Daniels and TJ Olesczuk also added an RBI each in the inning. The RBI by Daniels was the first of his career at Winthrop.

Georgia responded with four runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth to re-take the lead at 7-4. Cole started the scoring in the fifth with his RBI double to center field and then scored two batters later when Brett DeLoach doubled to left field. DeLoach later came home when Brandon Stephens posted a two RBI single to center field.

The Bulldogs added to their lead at 13-5 after driving in one run in the seventh and five in the eighth. The lone run in the bottom of the seventh came on Colby May's RBI single to right field. The five-run eighth inning was sparked by RBI triples from Hyams and Peter Verdin. DeLoach and Curt Powell also had an RBI apiece in the bottom of the eighth.

Daniels drove in his second run of the game in the top of the ninth with a double to center field and trimmed the Eagles deficit to 13-5. Brett Thomas came home from first base on the double by Daniels after reaching on a pinch-hit walk with one out in the inning.

Winthrop's offense was led by Daniels, Lobacz and Justin Hopper with two hits each, while Daniels and Lobacz had two RBI each. Daniels tied his career-high for hits in the game. Cole went 4-for-5 at the plate for Georgia, and was one of five players with two RBI.

The Eagles and Bulldogs will resume their series with game two on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.