Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ROCK HILL, SC -- The Winthrop baseball team dropped two to Presbyterian College 4-3 (10 innings) and 9-3 in Saturday's doubleheader at the Winthrop Ballpark.
 
It took extra innings to decide the outcome of Game 1 as both teams battled back and forth throughout the game.  In the top of the tenth Nathan Chong came to bat for the Blue Hose and slapped a single through the left side and eventually stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  The next batter Brad Zebedis hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field scoring Chong from third for the go-ahead and winning run.  Although the Eagles got out to an early 2-0 lead in Game 2, the night cap wasn't nearly as close as Presbyterian went on to score eight unanswered runs en route to a convincing 9-3 victory.
 
Saturday's losses drop Winthrop's record to 7-16 (1-2 in the Big South) on the season while Presbyterian improves to 15-10 (5-1 in the Big South).  The Eagles return to the field when Davidson (8-13) comes to town for a 6:00 p.m. ballgame at The Winthrop Ballpark.
 
In Game 1, the teams carried a 1-1 ballgame into the bottom of the fifth when the Eagles were able to get to Blue Hose starting pitcher Chandler Knox.  Kyle Edwards led off the inning with a single to center field and was immediately ushered to second on a sacrifice bunt by Austen Barber.  With two outs in the inning, Luke Maldonado was plunked by a pitch giving the Eagles runners on first and second.  The next hitter, Cody Dolan drove the first pitch he saw to left field for a double scoring Edwards and advancing Maldonado to third.  With Clay Altman up to bat, Knox threw a pitch in the dirt allowing Maldonado to speed home giving the Eagles a 3-1 lead.
 
The Blue Hose answered right back in the top of the sixth with two runs of their own on a two-run triple to the right-center gap by Ryan Hagan scoring Brandon Martin and Cam McRae and tying the game at 3-3.
 
In the seventh, the Blue Hose summoned reliever Chad Sanders (3-1) who went on to shut down the Winthrop offense allowing just one hit in four innings of work.  Presbyterian collected what would be the winning run in the top of the tenth on an RBI sacrifice fly by Zebedis scoring Chong from third.  Sanders didn't allow the Eagles to answer back as he retired the side in the bottom of the tenth and collected his third win of the season.
 
Looking to bounce back from the extra-inning loss, Winthrop jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in Game 2.  With Eagles on first and second third baseman Chad Smith roped a double to the left-center alley scoring Max Vogel from second who had singled earlier in the inning.  With one out in the inning Kyle Edwards hit a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Stephen Wallace from third to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
 
The lead didn't last long as Presbyterian struck for three runs in the top of the third.  RBI hits from Jay Lizanich and Zebedis put the Blue Hose on top 3-2 and they didn't look back from there.  Presbyterian pounded out five runs all with two outs in the fifth inning highlighted by a two-run bomb to left field by Chong extending PC's lead to 8-2.
 
The Eagles managed to add on a run in the seventh on a RBI single off the pitcher by Michael Patrick scoring Smith who had reached on a single earlier in the inning.  However, Winthrop was never able to find a rhythm against the Blue Hose starter Bud Jeter (3-1) who went the distance for PC allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out six en route to a 9-3 victory and his third complete game of the season.
 
“We have to do a better job of making things happen offensively,” commented Winthrop head coach Tom Riginos after the doubleheader.  “When we're not swinging the bat, we are putting too much pressure on our pitchers and our defense to be perfect.”
 
Despite the low offensive output for the Eagles, Dolan managed to extend his hitting streak to four games and has reach base safely in six straight games.  Dolan has reached base safely in 20 of the 22 games so far this season.  Smith had his best day at the plate this season in Game 2 as he collected a couple hits including and RBI double and scored a run as well.