Box Score ROCK HILL, SC—The Winthrop Eagles baseball team defeated the LaSalle Explorers 11-2 Friday afternoon at The Winthrop Ballpark in both team's season openers.

Winthrop banged out 13 hits and displayed some potent offensive firepower in the win..  That offense, coupled with the crafty pitching of junior All-American candidate Matt Crohan, allowed the Eagles to start the season on a positive note.

Crohan, who scattered four hits over six innings, began Winthrop's season in style by striking out the side in the top half of the first inning (two swinging and one looking).

Winthrop got on the board first, plating two runs in the second inning.  After a fielder's choice landed the Eagles' Mark Lowrie on first base, shortstop Kyle Edwards hit one up the middle placing two runners on base.  Second baseman Jake Sullivan  sent those runners home with a two-run double to give Winthrop the early 2-0 lead.

After four hitless innings for LaSalle, the Explorers' rallied for three straight hits in the top of the fifth to even the score at 2-2.

Winthrop responded in the bottom of the inning to reclaiming the lead at 7-2 with six hits and two stolen bases.  The Eagles were also assisted with the first error of the game from LaSalle.

Roger Gonzalez added another run for the Eagles in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly sending Mitch Spires home.

Winthrop stretched the lead even further to 11-2 when they put three more runs on the board in the seventh inning.

Edwards went 3-4 for the Eagles, while Gonzalez and Sullivan knocked in two runs apiece.

Crohan got the win on the afternoon with seven strikeouts and only one base on balls, allowing giving two runs.  LaSalle's Billy Worsick picked up the loss.
its home series against LaSalle on Saturday with a double-header beginning at 2:00 p.m.

For the latest information on the Winthrop Baseball team, follow @WinthropBasebal on Twitter or go to www.winthropeagles.com.