Box Score Box Score
CHARLESTON, SC- The Winthrop baseball team suffered a 6-5 setback to The Citadel who scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk away with the win at Joe Riley Field on Wednesday night.
 
The loss drops the Eagles to 14-6 while the Bulldogs improve to 12-7.  The two teams will meet at The Winthrop Ballpark next Tuesday night at 6 p.m. in a rescheduled game.
 
Winthrop closer Joey Strain took the loss for Winthrop after allowing two runs on three hits in the ninth.  His record is now 2-2. Brett Tompkins pitched the top of ninth for The Citadel, and got credit for the win.
 
Roger Gonzalez continued his hot bat for the Eagles as he went 4 for 5 at the plate with one RBI and scored two runs.
 
Winthrop fell behind in the bottom of the first when the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead as Johnathan Stokes scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Connor Walsh.
 
Gonzalez doubled and scored on a RBI double by Brad Kaczka to tie the game in the second inning.
 
Winthrop tacked on four more runs in the third inning with a two-out rally.  Anthony Paulsen reached on an infield single followed by a walk to Mark Lowrie. Paulsen scored on a double by Gonzalez. After a pitching change, John Menken singled to left field to score Lowrie and Gonzalez. Menken advanced to second on the throw home, and came around to score as the throw to second sailed high into center field.
 
The Citadel answered back with two runs in its half of the third inning. After loading the bases, Walsh walked to score a run and Stephen Windham's fielder's choice ground out drove in the third run.
 
The Bulldogs made it a one-run game by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth. Mike Deese, who singled and advanced around to third, came home on a throwing error by Kaczka.
 
Strain came on in the ninth to try and close out the win, but he was greeted with a lead- off single by Austin Mapes.  He then moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Windham followed with a single to center to score Mapes with the tying run. Drew Ellis then drove a double into left centerfield to score Windham all the way from first with the winning run.
 
The Eagles begin conference play this weekend, hosting Gardner-Webb in three-game series beginning Friday night at 6:00 p.m. at The Winthrop Ballpark.  They will meet on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and close out the series at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.