ROCK HILL, SC-- Winthrop softball finished the Winthrop Invitational on a high note as it picked up an 8-2 victory over Albany and a 4-2 win over Western Carolina, Sunday afternoon at Terry Field.

The Eagles even their record to 11-11 on the year as they received solid hitting and pitching in the two games. Albany falls to 3-4 while Western Carolina is now 7-10. The Eagles will host James Madison on Tuesday, Mar. 10 in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m.

The day began with a convincing win over Albany as Sutton Watson tossed a complete game to earn the win in the circle while also driving in two runs during a six-run third inning. Watson tossed seven innings allowing just one earned run on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts to improve to 3-3 on the year.

"I thought Sutton threw a very good game today," said Winthrop head coach Mark Cooke, who is now just nine wins away from his 700^th at the helm of the Eagles. "Albany is a very good team and Sutton did a good job at mixing up her pitches."

Albany struck first as Vicky McFarland led the game off with a single up the middle. She was moved over on a sacrifice and move to third on the play after a throwing error by Watson put runners at the corners with no outs. McFarland scored on a fielder's choice for the lead.

After the Great Danes took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, Winthrop's bats woke up as K.J. Uyeno led things off with a single followed by a bunt single from Paige Haley. That was followed by a bunt single from Zharne Glover that scored Uyeno and then Haley scored on the play courtesy of an error and Glover ended up a third. Two batters later Kelsey Ritter ripped a single through the right side, scoring Glover and then Leah Young plated Maddie Antone, who reached on a walk. With runners at second and third, Watson stepped in and delivered a single up the middle that scored both.

In the bottom of the sixth, Haley Zuehlke provided some insurance with a two-run home run down the left field line.

Erynn Sobieski suffered the loss for Albany after allowing six runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings to fall to 1-1 on the year.

In the second game the Eagles avenged their loss to Western Carolina on Friday.

The Eagles struck first in the top of the third inning as Sara Allen led off with a double to center. She was replaced at second by pinch-runner Madison Templeton, who eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from K.J. Uyeno.

The Catamounts grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Eagles came right back to take the lead in the top of the fifth. It all happened with two outs as Allen was hit-by-a-pitch to keep the inning alive. Shayna Covington followed with a single up the middle and then Uyeno walked to load the bases. Cooke made a move for a pinch-hitter as Haley stepped in and delivered a two-run single down the right field line for a 3-2 lead.

Antone added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single that scored Uyeno and then Watson, who had entered in the top of the sixth, finished off the game with a 1-2-3 inning to earn the save.

Allen tossed five innings allowing one earned run on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts as she improves to 5-3 on the year. Watson tossed 2.0 innings allowing one hit with no walks and two strikeouts to earn her second career save.

"Allen threw a good game as she did a good job keeping us in the game and Sutton came in to close it out," said Cooke. "Both of those teams are good. We got everything we needed from our players today with timely hitting, good base running and pitching. We have been playing some really good ball since the Auburn game and the team is starting to come together very nicely."

On the day, Haley had four hits while Young finished with three. Haley, Watson and Zuehlke all finished with two RBI.

As a team the Eagles had 17 hits on the day and the pitching allowed just two earned runs with one walk and 10 strikeouts in 14 innings.