Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ATHENS, GA— After dropping its season opener earlier in the morning, the Winthrop softball team bounced back for a 4-1 victory over Elon Saturday evening at the Red and Black Showcase hosted by the University of Georgia.

The Eagles fell 17-5 to Ohio State in the opener and is now 1-1 on the year and will be back in action on Sunday as they get a chance for payback against the Buckeyes at 10 a.m. and will then face ninth-ranked Georgia at 12:30 p.m.. Ohio State is 3-0 on the year and defeated the ninth-ranked Bulldogs 5-4 after beating the Eagles earlier in the day. Elon, who defeated Georgia on Friday in the two teams season opener, falls to 1-2.

For the second straight game, Winthrop jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning but this team held on for the win. An RBI single by Chelsey Schoenfeldt gave Winthrop a 1-0 lead as she plated Kristy Noble, who walked with one away. Schoenfeldt scored as Kathryn Eberlin followed with a double to right center for a 2-0 lead.

“After Allen left the game against Ohio State we just couldn't seem to throw strikes but the team played hard and never backed down,” said Winthrop head coach Mark Cooke. “I was really proud of the team and it was really nice to see them bounce back like that. Sutton Watson through a great game today. Both teams had a couple of games under their belt and we looked like it was our first games of the year, but the girls battled.”

In the top of the second inning, Winthrop went ahead 4-0 as sophomore Christine DeWitt connected on her first career home run with a solo shot to center to lead off the inning. After back-to-back strikeouts, Zarne Glover reached on an error. Glover stole second and moved to third as the catcher's throw to second got away. Glove came around to score as Noble reached on an error by the second baseman.

Sophomore Sutton Watson tossed a complete game to earn the win in the circle as she scattered nine hits allowing one run with a walk and six strikeouts. The lone blemish came in the sixth inning on a Tomeka Watson home run.

Eberlin and DeWitt each had two hits while Schoenfeldt's RBI in the win over Elon gave her four on the day.

In the first game against Ohio State, Winthrop jumped out to an early lead as Schoenfeldt started off the season in a big way with a two-run homer for the early lead. Jenna Harbin set up the opportunity by drawing a two-out walk.

Ohio State tied the game in the third inning after a couple of mistakes by the Eagles. Sophomore Sara Allen struck out the lead-off batter, but a passed ball allowed the batter to reach first. Cammi Prantl moved to second on a grounder and then the following batter reached on an error by Noble at second to put runners at the corners. Megan Coletta, who reached on the error, moved to second on a wild pitch that did not allow Prantl to score. The very next batter singled to the pitcher, scoring Prantl and putting runners at the corners again. A pitching changed as made after the single as Schoenfeldt relieved Allen. Schoenfeldt worked the next batter into a grounder, but a second error by Noble at second allowed Evelyn Carrillo to reach first and Coletta to score the tying run.

Ohio State took a 6-2 lead in the top of the fourth with two outs as Carrillo picked up an RBI single and two more runs scored after back-to-back walks with the bases loaded. Winthrop responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to get back in the game as McKenzi Corn singled to the left side to get things started and was moved to second on a sacrifice by S. Watson.  Haley Zuehlke walked and Glover singled to left field to load the bases. Kim Ryder drew a walk with the bases loaded for her first career RBI as all the runners moved over. Two batters later, Schoenfeldt drew a walk with the bases loaded for her third RBI of the game, cutting the Buckeye lead to 6-4. Eberlin followed Schoenfeldt with a walk, making it 6-5 as Ryder crossed the plate.

The game got away from the Eagles as Ohio State added three runs in the fifth and sixth innings and five more in the seventh.

Schoenfeldt finished the game 1-for-1 with three walks and three RBI. Corn was the only Eagle with two hits against the Buckeyes.

Allen started the game and allowed two unearned runs on two hits with five strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched, but had to leave after getting hit with a line drive. Schoenfeldt that suffered the loss as she allowed four runs on four hits in two innings.