ROCK HILL, SC— It was an exciting day at Terry Field Friday afternoon as the Winthrop softball team captured two walk-off victories of 5-4 and 4-3 over Campbell.

The first game ended on a Kelsey Ritter solo home run down the left field line and then the second game ended on a two-RBI single through the right side by freshman K.J. Uyeno.

Winthrop improves to 18-22 overall and 7-8 in the Big South while Campbell falls to 21-23 overall and 3-13 in the league. The two teams will wrap-up the series on Saturday with a single-game at 1 p.m.

"Those were two good wins today," said Winthrop head coach Mark Cooke, who is now one victory away from 700 at the helm of the Eagles. "We just hit the ball when we had to, to win. I thought our pitchers did a good job at controlling the tempo of the game. We just hung around and battled, drove the runs in. I thought K.J. had a really good day as she put the ball in play when she had to. We're learning the game, we're getting better. It was good to get our conference record up to 7-8, I feel good right now as it was a good day for us."

Freshman Tara Loken gave the Eagles a chance in the seventh of game two as she led off the inning with a single down the left field line. She was replaced on the bases by pinch-runner Shayna Covington. Madison Templeton tried to sacrifice Covington to second but unfortunately the ball popped up and hit her as she ran toward first to record the first out. Zharne Glover followed with a walk and then Paige Haley singled to center field to load the bases. Uyeno stepped up and pulled a 2-2 pitch through the hole at first as Covington and Glover scored.

The Eagles trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning of the second game as Ritter led off the inning with a single down the left field line. It was the first batter for the Eagles to reach base after Katie Baker had held them hitless and not issued a walk in the first four innings. The next two batters worked the count and each drew a walk on a full count. That put Ritter at third, Haley Zuehlke at second and Loken at first for pinch-hitter Kristy Noble who singled to the shortstop to put the Eagles on the board. Glover stepped in with a chance to do more damage and she hit a chopper to second base as Loken ran by on her way to second the second baseman tried to apply a tag behind her but missed as Glover raced down the line and everyone was safe to pull the Eagles within a run. Baker got back-to-back outs to end the threat.

A two RBI single by Brittany Bruce and an RBI single by Lia Batchelor put Campbell up 3-0 in the fourth inning after starter Sutton Watson had gone without allowing a base runner in the first three innings. Watson finished the game allowing three runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 3.1 innings as she didn't factor into the decision.

Sara Allen earned the win in relief as she tossed 3.2 innings allowing just three hits with no walks and four strikeouts to improve to 10-7 on the year.
Baker took the loss for Campbell as she fell to 10-14 after allowing four runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

Campbell built its 3-0 in the top of the first of game one thanks in largely to Baker, who came through for the Camels with two outs. She grounded a 1-1 pitch to the hole at short as Maddie Antone tried to make a play on the ball. Antone reached out to try and at least keep the ball on the infield but it hit off the end of the glove and into the outfield behind third base as Chandler Patterson and Stephanie Jones each scored for the three-run lead. Camise Patterson scored on a passed ball to start off the scoring for Campbell.

Winthrop left five runners stranded in the first three innings as it tried to get back into the game. Campbell made it 4-0 on a Baker home run in the fourth before the Eagles started to rally. In the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles pulled within a run thanks RBI singles from Antone and Noble. Antone drove in the Eagles first run of the game on a single to center and then Uyeno scored on a wild pitch before Noble's RBI single up the middle.

Uyeno came through for the Eagles in the sixth with two outs as she laced a single to left field on a 1-0 pitch as Glover raced home from second base to tie the game.

Watson got the win in the circle as she improves to 4-6 after pitching a perfect seventh inning as she struck out two of the three batters she faced. Allen started the game tossing six innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Julia Callicutt started the game for Campbell, throwing four innings and allowing three unearned runs on four hits with five walks and five strikeouts. Baker took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in two innings.

Antone extended her hitting streak to nine games before going 0-for-3 in the nightcap. Uyeno finished with a team-high three hits and three RBI on the day while Noble had two pinch-hit RBI singles. Ritter and Haley each had two hits as well. Ritter's home run was the 20^th of her career as she becomes just the sixth Eagle in the program's history to reach 20 homers.