Box Score
ROCK HILL, SC- Winthrop took an early lead with a two-run first inning, but could not get a run across the plate in the final eight frames to drop a 3-2 decision to The Citadel Wednesday night at The Winthrop Ballpark.

Both teams are now 9-12 on the season and the win was The Citadel's first road victory.

Zach Sightler took the loss for the Eagles, giving up all three runs on five hits and falling to 1-1 on the year while The Citadel's Austin Mason earned the win, allowing two runs on four hits. Bulldog closer Skylar Hunter came into the game in the eighth with the tying and go ahead runners on second and third and got The Citadel out of a jam by striking out two hitters to end the inning.

Both teams came out strong, with each scoring runs in the first inning. The Citadel took the lead when Mason Davis scored on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Griffin. The Eagles answered back when Leighton Daniels scored on a bases loaded walk by Babe Thomas. With the bases still loaded, Chad Smith scored on a sacrifice fly by John Menken to make it a 2-1 game.

The Bulldogs tied the game and then took the lead at 3-2 with single runs in the second and third innings. Connor Walsh scoring the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Davis. The Citadel regained the lead in the third as the Bulldogs put together a three-hit inning. Drew DeKerlegand singled and advanced to third on a single from Walsh and scored on an RBI single by Johnathan Stokes.

Winthrop had a golden opportunity to score in the seventh when Kyle Edwards was headed home with the tying run on a single up the middle by Daniels but tripped as he rounded third and had to retreat to the third base bag. The Eagles failed to score in that inning and then had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth inning and failed to score. Michael Patrick led off the inning as a pinch hitter and singled to right. After Babe Thomas walked both runners advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Hunter then got Stephen Wallace to strike out, but the ball got away from catcher Ryan Kilgallen and he was unable to throw out Wallace at first base to load the bases. The Citadel closer then got the next two Eagle hitters on strikes to end the threat.

The Eagles return to conference play this weekend as they take on Coastal Carolina in a three-game series in Conway starting at 5 p.m. on Friday.