ROCK HILL, SC— Tara Loken's walk-off two-run homer in the eighth lifted Winthrop softball to a 6-5 victory over Bucknell and helped earn a split on the first day of the Winthrop/adidas Tournament.

The Eagles started the day with a 6-5 loss in eight innings to East Tennessee State before bouncing back for the win over the Bison. Winthrop's winning streak came to an end at five games with the loss to the Buccaneers but the Eagles are now 7-5 on the year.

"You know with a team that has as many sick players as we have we didn't need to go extra innings today," said co-head coach Mark Cooke. "I think it's a tribute to how well our kids played that they came back and won that last game after being down 4-0. In first game they had two swings for five runs and that was the difference. Neither of our number one pitchers were sharp today but we had two freshmen step up. It's a good day when you have freshmen walk in and do what they have to do and of course Tara charged that last one up, which was really beautiful. I'm happy to get out of here today with a split. Bucknell and East Tennessee State we had a good game with both of them."

The Eagles were shorthanded on the day with junior Maddie Antone and freshman Ashley Westbrooks missing action due to illness. The Eagles had plenty of people step up to help the offense produce 11 runs in two games on the day.

Trailing 4-0 to Bucknell after the top of the first, Winthrop rallied to tie the game in the second inning. The Eagles got one back in the bottom of the first and in the second Brooke Ellison delivered a two-run single with two outs and a 1-2 count. Leah Young's single to short tied the game at 4-4 as Paige Haley scored.

After Bucknell grabbed a 5-4 lead in the top of the 8^th, Loken stepped in to lead off the bottom half of the inning as a pinch-hitter. With Morgan Lowers placed on second as part of the international tie breaker, Loken looked to move her to third with a sacrifice but failed on her first two attempts. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat Loken belted the ball over the left field fence.

Sabrina Shroades tossed 7.2 innings of relief to earn her first collegiate win after allowing one unearned run on four hits.

Against ETSU, Winthrop grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first as Haley scored on an RBI single from Lowers. A three-run home run put the Bucs up 4-1 in the third before the Eagles battled back with two runs in the sixth to tie the game.

ETSU plated three in the top of the eight highlighted by a two-run home run, but the Eagles nearly battled back to tie the game again. Lowers came through again with an RBI single and then Ansley Gilreath hit a shot to the wall that scored Young on a sacrifice fly. The Eagles came up just short as Blake Wallert fouled out to first to end the game.

Loken, Ellison, Young and Lowers all had two RBI on the day while Haley led the way with three hits and has now hit safely in the last four games.