Box Score Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC – Eric Ruth struck out a career-high 13 batters on Saturday afternoon as the Winthrop Eagles snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders at The Winthrop Ballpark.
The Eagles improve to 2-13 on the season, while the Crusaders fall to 4-6 overall.
Ruth (1-1) earned the win after tossing 8.0 innings, a new career-high for him, and gave up two runs (none earned) on eight hits and no walks. Matt Croglio (1-1) took the loss allowing three runs on six hits, three walks and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work.
Austin Stuart (1) picked up his first career save pitching one scoreless inning and surrendered no hits, no walks and one strikeout.
Ruth became the first Winthrop pitcher since Hamilton Bennett in 2008 to strike out 10 or more batters in a game as Bennett struck out 10 at VMI on Mar. 29 of that season. It was also the most strikeouts since Alex Wilson posted 14 against the Keydets on Mar. 23, 2007.
Holy Cross struck first with two runs in the top of the first with two outs. Ruth was able to get Alex Maldonado and Kyle Stearns for the first two outs of the inning, but then gave up a double to Mike Ahmed down the left field line. Chris Sintetos struck out in the next at-bat, but the ball hit off Eagle catcher
Austen Barber and rolled to the backstop. Sintetos was able to advance to first and Ahmed moved to third. Patrick Puentes then followed with an RBI infield single scoring Ahmed, and Sintetos came home on Stephen Wadsworth's RBI single to left center field.
Winthrop would take the lead for good in the bottom of the third at 3-2 after scoring three runs in the inning. The three-run inning was highlighted by
Matt Lobacz's two RBI single to left field, driving in Barber and
Jason Driver. Barber walked in his at-bat with one out and Driver recorded an RBI single to right field.
Chad Smith scored on Driver's single after hitting into a fielder's choice in his at-bat.
Hopper finished the game with a team-high two hits, while Lobacz drove in two runs. Puentes led the Crusader offense with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate, and had one RBI along with Wadsworth.
The Eagles and Holy Cross will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday, Mar. 11 at 12 p.m.
