ROCK HILL, SC—Babe Thomas homered, doubled and drove home three runs to lead the Winthrop Eagles to a 12-5 season opening victory over Maine on Friday evening at The Winthrop Ballpark.


Winthrop used a six-run first inning to give the Eagle starting pitcher Reece Green and two relievers all the support they needed in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

In addition to Thomas' two hits, three other Eagles collected multiple-hit games.  Third baseman Jake Sullivan went 3 for 3 with a RBI. Hunter Lipscomb had two hits, including a solo home run, three runs scored and four RBI, while Mitch Spires finished with a single and a triple.

Green earned the win as he went six innings while allowing four runs on seven hits.  He struck out four and walked two.  Main starter Justin Courtney took the loss as he gave up eight runs on six hits in four innings.

Maine got on the board in its first at bat off Winthrop starter Reece Green. The Black Bears scored two runs on three hits and the help of one Winthrop throwing error.  Danny Casals lined a one-out double down the right field line and scored on a two-out single to left by Christopher Bec, who advanced to second on an overthrow to the plate by Eagle shortstop Mitch Spires. Bec then scored on a base hit by Jonathan Bennett.

Winthrop bounced back in the bottom of the first as the Eagles took advantage of Courtney's wildness, a two-RBI double by Thomas and a two-RBI triple by Sullivan. Scout McFalls drew a walk to begin the inning.  Brandon Fite was hit by a pitch and Anthony Paulsen walked to load the bases. Thomas then drove home McFalls and Fite with a double off the center field fence.  Paulsen and Thomas came around to score on a throwing error to home by Courtney.  Tyler Halstead  advanced Lipscomb to second on a single and both scored on Sullivan's three-base hit to center. 

Maine added another run to make it 6-3 in the top of the third, but Lipscomb got that run back in the bottom of the third with a long home run to right field.
Thomas made it 8-3 in the fourth with a homer to straight away left field.

Maine cut the deficit to four runs in the fifth after Tyler Schwanz reached third on a fielding error by the centerfielder and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Jeremy Pena.

Winthrop answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth off reliever Sam McCarthy. 

The Black Bears added a fifth run in the seventh off Eagle freshman reliever Zach Peek.   Schwanz doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and then scored on an infield single by Bec.

The Eagles extended the lead to seven runs in the eighth after Mitch Spires lined a triple over the centerfielder's head and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Lipscomb to make it a 12-5 game.

Winthrop and Maine will meet for the second of a three-game series on Saturday.  The first pitch is set for 3 p.m.