BUIES CREEK, NC— Winthrop softball dropped both games of a doubleheader at Campbell Saturday afternoon with losses of 8-6 and 5-0 in Big South Conference action.
The Eagles are now 14-37 on the year and 4-16 in the league. Campbell improves to 22-27 overall and 8-12 in the Big South. The two teams will wrap-up their weekend series with a single-game on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
"The first game seemed to take all the momentum out of our sails after losing that lead," said Winthrop co-head coach
Mark Cooke. "We walked batters and allowed them to get into scoring position without doing anything and then they came through with hits. We're not excited about where we are right now, but we'll come back and be ready to go tomorrow."
In the opening game of the doubleheader,
Blake Wallert took a 3-1 offering over the left field fence to lead off the second inning, tying the game at 1-1 just after the Camels took the lead in the bottom of the first. It didn't stop there for the Eagles as the next three batters singled to load the bases.
Paige Haley came through with a single down the right field line to score
Tara Loken and give Winthrop a 2-1 lead. Campbell then replaced starting pitcher Courtney Roberts in favor of Amber Schisler. That didn't stop
Morgan Lowers who proceeded to single through the hole at first, scoring
Haley Zuehlke for a two-run advantage.
Winthrop increased its lead to 4-1 in the top of the third. With runners at the corners,
Kim Ryder stepped in and hit a chopper to third and when the throw came over to first to just beat Ryder for the out, Wallert took off from third and slid home safely ahead of the throw from first.
It was a three-run fifth for the Camels that started their comeback. Campbell's Megan Mozingo led off the inning with a single followed by a Harris single as both were then moved over on a sacrifice. Taesha Duboise stepped in and delivered a single up the middle to plate the first run. Melissa Tullar then singled home a run and Christa Hall drew a bases loaded walk with two outs to cut the Eagles lead to two runs.
In the sixth inning the Camels got the leadoff batter on as Mozingo drew a walk. Cierra Harris then slapped a single down the left field line. After
Keleigh Romine then struck out the next batter followed by a grounder to second. However, the grounder to second was mishandled as all runners were safe and Mozingo came around to score. At that point a pitching change was made and
Dallas King replaced Romine with one out and runners at second and third. Rachel McCollum stepped in and hit the third pitch from King over the center field fence for a three-run shot and an 8-6 lead.
Romine took the loss as she allowed three runs (two earned) on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts in an inning of relief.
Kiley Majette started the game and tossed 4.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits with four walks.
Wallert had a career-high three hits in the game as she was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Zuehlke also had a season-high three hits in the game.
Schisler got the win in the circle for Campbell as she allowed six runs on 12 hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 5.0 innings of relief.
In the second game Campbell opened up the game in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of the long ball as Tullar led off the inning with a home run to right center and then four batters later Mozingo hit her first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left for a 5-0 lead.
Chace Helms started the game for the Eagles as she allowed four runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Baker tossed 5.0 innings to earn the win over the Eagles by allowing just three hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Aschisler threw the final two innings allowing just one hit with two walks and a strikeout to combine with Baker on the shutout.
Winthrop finished with four hits in the second game and left nine runners on base while they stranded a total of 17 on the day.
Campbell put pressure on the Winthrop pitching staff all afternoon as it put the leadoff batter on base nine times in 12 innings batting.
