ROCK HILL, SC— Winthrop softball ended a five-game skid with a doubleheader sweep of Gardner-Webb with a 4-3 win in 11 innings and a 3-1 victory in the nightcap, Wednesday evening at Terry Field.
The victory improves the Eagles to 14-19 overall and 3-5 in the Big South while Gardner-Webb falls to 11-19 overall and 3-8 in the league. The Eagles will look to continue their streak as they head to North Charleston, SC for a three-game series with Charleston Southern starting with a single-game on Friday, Apr. 3 at 3 p.m.
"The thing for me tonight was having tremendous pitching performances," said Winthrop head coach
Mark Cooke, who is now four wins away from 700 as head coach of the Eagles. "It was good to see Ritter and a few of the players hit the ball hard. I thought our defense was very good today. They are a good slapping team with speed and I thought we did a good job getting them out."
After winning the opening game of the doubleheader, the Eagles used a 2-run fourth to open up a 3-0 lead and were able to hold on behind a strong pitching performance from junior
Dallas King and senior
Sutton Watson. King tossed 5.1 innings allowing one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts to improve to 3-8 on the year. Watson tossed 1.2 innings of relief allowing two hits and recording a strikeout to earn her third save of the year.
The Eagles led 1-0 heading into the fourth inning thanks to a first inning RBI single from
Leah Young.
Kristy Noble led off the fourth with a single to the pitcher and then moved to second on a ground out. That brought up
Madison Templeton who put down a bunt to the pitcher to move Noble to third but the throw by pitcher Ashley Wark sailed over the head of the first baseman and down the line in foul territory. That allowed Noble to score easily and Templeton hustled around all the bases to score for a 3-0 lead.
Gardner-Webb got one back in the sixth with a solo home run to left by Megan Gibbons.
On the day
Kelsey Ritter had two hits and three RBI while
Haley Zuehlke and
Maddie Antone also had two hits each.
Ritter provided a walk-off single in the 11
th for the 4-3 victory. Antone was placed on second to start the inning and scored on the single to center by Ritter.
The Runnin' Bulldogs took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10
th inning as the international tie-breaker rule was in effect. Jill Blank was placed on second to start the inning. Taylar Pridgen tried to advance Blank to third with a sacrifice but her bunt was popped up toward first and Zuehlke made a diving attempt to catch the ball the ball shot off the end of her glove and into foul territory. Pridgen ended up on second on the play and Blank at third with no outs. Watson was able to get out of the situation with minimal damage. The next batter was Kellie Beres as she laid down a bunt and Blank came too far off the bag as Ritter turned around and chased her down to tag her out. However, Pridgen moved over on the play and scored on the next play as Gibbons drove her in on a sacrifice fly to left. Templeton made a good throw from left, but Pridgen slid just under the tag for the lead.
K.J. Uyeno's RBI single up the middle with no outs tied the game in the bottom of the 10
th after pinch-runner
Shayna Covington moved third on a bunt single from
Zharne Glover. Two batters later Antone grounded to third as Glover came too far off the bag as the third baseman turned and threw to the bag and eventually get her out on a rundown. Uyeno nearly made it to third, but got caught in a rundown and as she was trying to slide back to second base was thrown out to end the inning.
Gardner-Webb snagged an early lead with a two-run third. It started with a one-out walk by Pridgen and then she stole second. Beres singled up the middle to score Pridgen for the second for a 1-0 lead. The second run scored when Cumiskey hit a chopper to second base as Antone tried to run the ball down but it bounced off her glove and into right center.
Winthrop trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth when Ritter tied the game with no outs. Antone reached on a leadoff walk and then Ritter ripped a 2-2 pitch to center field for her fourth of the season and 17
th of her career.
King earned the win in relief after pitching the 11
th and keeping the Runnin' Bulldogs off the board.
Sara Allen started the game allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings. Watson tossed five innings of relief allowing a run on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Summer Darnell started for Gardner-Webb allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout in five innings. It was Wark that took the loss after allowing two unearned runs on four hits in five innings.
