Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC—Nine different players combined for 12 hits to lead Winthrop to an 8-4 win over North Carolina A&T and extend its winning streak to four on Tuesday afternoon at The Winthrop Ballpark.
 
Babe Thomas reached base in all five plate appearances as he had a single and double, was hit by the pitcher twice, walked once and scored four times. Tyler Asbill and Brad Kaczka also had two hits each for the Eagles. NC A&T collected nine hits off five Winthrop pitchers.  Ryan Jantsch and Timothy Ravare had two hits each for the Aggies.
 
The victory improves Winthrop to 11-4 while NC A&T drops to 2-11.  Winthrop will try to extend its streak on Wednesday when the Eagles host The Citadel at 5 p.m.  The game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m., but was changed due to the forecast for rain.
 
Winthrop starting pitcher Michael Greene was credited with his first win of the season as he threw three innings while allowing three hits, a walk, and striking out two Aggies.  He was on a pitch count entering the game.  The loss went to Aggie starter A.J. Hunt, who allowed two runs on two hits in three innings.
 
The Eagles got on the board in the first inning as they got a two-run single from Roger Gonzalez that scored Tyler Asbill, who led off with a single and moved to second after Babe Thomas was hit by a pitch.
 
After NC A&T touched up Eagle reliever Riley Arnone for a single run in the top of the fifth, Winthrop came back with three in the bottom half of the frame to take a 5-1 lead with three runs on two hits and a couple of hit batters.  Thomas led off with a single and advanced around to third with one out after Aggie reliever Charles Cantrell hit Mark Lowrie and Gonzalez to load the bases.  Pinch hitter John Menken drove Thomas home with a deep sacrifice fly to left and then Brad Kaczka cleared the bases with a two-RBI single.
 
The Aggies came back to score two times in the sixth as they strung together back-to-back singles by Adan Ordonez and Tim Ravare. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. Ordonez came home on a single by Milton Rivera and Ravare scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Myles Sowell.
 
Winthrop answered again with a pair of runs in the sixth.  Lowrie's two-out single to left scored Asbill and Thomas.  Asbill had reached on his second single of the game and Thomas got on base for the fourth time after drawing a walk.
 
The Eagles closed its scoring with a run in the eighth inning.  Thomas led off with a double over the right fielder's head.  He moved over to third on a ground out and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez.
 
NC A&T added its final run in the ninth after Kyle Clary walked, moved to third on a double by Jantsch and scored on an infield out.
 
Eagles skipper Tom Riginos was extremely proud of his team's concentration and focus during today's matchup. "You're always a little nervous when you come back from an off day. Especially with this game being the first 4:00 p.m. mid-week game this season, but the guys came out with a lot of energy and focus. As soon as the game started, these guys stepped up."