Box Score Box Score
BOILING SPRINGS, NC – Leighton Daniels recorded the go-ahead RBI double with one out in the top of the eighth inning as the Winthrop Eagles picked up its first conference series win of the season with a 5-3 victory over the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon at John Henry Moss Stadium.
Austin Stuart (1-1) earned his first career victory in relief pitching 2.1 scoreless innings while not allowing a hit on no walks and three strikeouts. Jeff Howell (1-2) suffered the loss allowing two runs on two hits, two walks and one strikeout in one inning of relief.
Jace Whitley got things going for Winthrop (9-20, 2-4) in the top of the eighth with a pinch-hit single to right field with one out and was followed by a walk to
Jason Driver. The double down the left field line by Daniels gave him four hits on the afternoon, which is a new career-high for him, and brought in Whitley from second base. Driver then scored for the second time in the contest on
Patrick Gamblin's RBI sacrifice fly to left field.
The Eagles offense jumped out of the gate quickly in the first two innings by driving in three runs to take a 3-0 lead over Gardner-Webb. Winthrop scored two runs in the top of the first and one run in the second inning.
TJ Olesczuk was responsible for both runs in the first on his career-high second home run of the season to left center field, which brought home Daniels as he singled to left field in the previous at-bat. Daniels would record his first RBI of the contest on a single to right field with two outs in the second inning. Runnin' Bulldog starting pitcher Beau Hilton started the inning by striking out
Chad Smith and
Reid Langdale, but then surrendered a bunt single to Driver. Driver then stole second base and scored from second on the single by Daniels.
Gardner-Webb (16-13, 2-4) trimmed its deficit to 3-1 after plating one run in the bottom of the third. Brad Collins led off the inning for the Runnin' Bulldogs with a double off the center field wall and then advanced to third on a groundout by Benji Jackson. Collins later scored when Ryan Hodge reached on a fielding error by Driver at shortstop.
The game became tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth after Gardner-Webb drove in two runs highlighted by an RBI groundout by Ryan Allen. Scott Coleman led off the inning with a single and later scored the inning's first run on a wild pitch by Eagles starting pitcher
Tyler Klitsch. McFarland would draw a walk following the single by Coleman, and both runners would advance one base on a sacrifice bunt by Scott Johnson.
Daniels and Olesczuk drove in a team-high two RBI each for Winthrop, while Hodge and Collins collected two hits apiece for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Hodge and Allen had both RBI as well for Gardner-Webb.
The Eagles will be back in action on Tuesday, Apr. 3 as they travel to Clemson, SC to face the Clemson Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
