Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC -- The Winthrop Eagles baseball team held off East Tennessee State for the second time this season with a 3-2 victory Wednesday night at The Winthrop Ballpark.
 
The Eagles capitalized off back-to-back RBI doubles by freshman Michael Patrick and junior Luke Maldonado to take a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning.  ETSU answered right back in the top of the sixth when a pair of Buccaneer base runners scored on wild pitches from reliever Steven Howell knotting the game at 2-2.  Winthrop regained the lead in the seventh on an RBI single by Cody Dolan scoring Patrick from second base giving the Eagles a 3-2 advantage.  That run proved to be winning one as Josh Strong (1-0) shut down the Buccaneer offense and collected his first career collegiate win while Eric Ruth hammered down the victory for the Eagles grabbing his third save of the season.
 
The win for Winthrop breaks a three game skid and improves its record to 6-14 while East Tennessee fails to 12-6 on the season.  The Eagles are 2-0 this season and 7-0 all-time against the Buccaneers.  Winthrop looks to build upon the win when Presbyterian College (13-9) comes to town for a three game set to kick off Big South Conference play.
 
Freshman right-hander Joey Strain (1-2)started the game strong for the Eagles shutting out ETSU in four innings of work while limiting them to one hit and striking out two.  With a scoreless game into the fifth, Kyle Edwards led off the Eagles' half of the inning with a walk and was promptly moved along to second on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Barber.  The very next pitch was driven down the left field line by Patrick for a double scoring Edwards from second.  The next batter Maldonado traded places with Patrick when he drove a 0-1 pitch into the right field gap for a double extending his hitting streak to four games and giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
 
ETSU battled back in the next inning when the Buccaneers took advantage of a bases loaded situation and a couple off-target pitches.  The Buccaneers tied the game at 2-2 when both Andrew Green and Derek Niesman were ushered home from third on wild pitches from Howell.
 
Winthrop manufactured the go-ahead run in the seventh when Patrick drove the first pitch of the inning to center field for a single and was immediately moved along to second on a sacrifice bunt by Maldonado.  Dolan followed with a rocket single past the third baseman scoring Patrick and giving the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
 
The Winthrop bullpen would take it from there as Strong and Ruth combined for three innings of shutout baseball and secured the victory for the Eagles.
 
Strong has yet to give up an earned run in eight appearances this season while only one earned run has crossed the plate in Ruth's 12.1 innings of work.
 
Patrick lead the Eagles offensively with a big night at the plate going 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. 
 
Eagles' head coach Tom Riginos was pleased with his team's effort in the win.  “We are throwing the ball well right now and as we start to scratch out a few more hits, the wins will come,” said Riginos after the game.  “We played a solid game and we got some big hits when we needed them.”
 
Winthrop will take the field this weekend against conference rival Presbyterian College with games scheduled for Friday at 6:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.