ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A late Winthrop rally came up short as the Eagles lost to UNC Asheville 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at Greenwood Field.

The Eagles (8-11, 1-1 BSC) will try to win the series when they play UNC Asheville (8-9, 1-1 BSC) Sunday beginning at 1 pm.

The Eagles were led at the plate by sophomores Brandon Fite, who went 2 for 4 with one RBI, Hunter Lipscomb, who went 1 for 3 with a RBI and a run scored, and Matthew Mulkey, who was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Winthrop sophomore Nate Pawelczyk (2-1) suffered the loss as he went five innings, allowed six hits on two runs while striking out three. UNC Asheville's Joe Zayatz (2-0) earned the win as he pitched five scoreless innings, while allowing one hit. Justin Woods earned his third save for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs took a 4-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning. Asheville scored one run in the first inning, added a another run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Kyle Carruthers, and scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

The Eagles battled back with a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth. In the seventh, Lipscomb opened the inning with a single, senior Babe Thomas was hit by a pitch, and both advanced on a wild pitch. Lipscomb scored on an infield groundout.

The Eagles scored two more runs in the eighth. Mulkey and junior Mitch Spires started the inning with back-to-back singles. Fite singled to drive home Mulkey, and Spires scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Lipscomb.

Winthrop threatened in the ninth when sophomore Grant English walked and freshman Jason Crumley came on as a pinch runner and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from red-shirt sophomore Jake Sullivan. Crumley then got caught trying to steal third for the second out of the inning.   

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