Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop baseball team picked up its first series victory of the season on Saturday afternoon with a 5-2 win over the Rider Broncs at The Winthrop Ballpark.

The Eagles improve to 5-15 on the season, while the Broncs drop to 5-11 overall.

Eric Ruth (2-1) earned the win tossing 5.0 innings and gave up two runs on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Patrick Devlin (1-3) took the loss pitching 5.0 innings allowing four runs on three hits, three walks and four strikeouts. Preston Johnson (2) picked up the save after pitching 4.0 scoreless innings of relief on one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

Winthrop got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first when Patrick Gamblin scored from third base on a wild pitch by Devlin with two outs in the inning. Gamblin began the inning with a walk, and went to third on a stolen base and a groundout to second by Matt Lobacz.

Ruth started the game for the Eagles retiring the first five batters he faced, but ran into trouble with two outs in the second inning giving up two runs to give Rider a 2-1 lead. Greg Fazio began things for the Broncs with a double down the left field line and scored in the next at-bat as Ken Kremer singled to center field. Kremer would then go to third on a double by Richie Garcia to right field, and came home on an RBI single to right field by Nick Crescenzo.

Chas Crane's first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field, tied the game up at 2-2 in the third for Winthrop, and then Gamblin stepped up in the fifth with his two-run homer to left field giving the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish at 4-2.

Winthrop added to its advantage at 5-2 in the seventh when Crane scored on a wild pitch by Rider reliever Sean Kuberiet. Crane walked in his at-bat during the inning, and moved to third on a walk by Matt Lobacz and TJ Olesczuk hitting into a fielder's choice.

Four different Eagle hitters had one hit each on the afternoon, while Gamblin drove in a team-high two RBI. Garcia led the Broncs offensively going 2-for-3 at the plate, and Kremer and Crescenzo drove in both runs.

Winthrop and Rider will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday, Mar. 18 at 1 p.m.