ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop scored three runs in the first four innings and its pitching kept the Gardner-Webb offense at bay in a 3-1 victory, Saturday afternoon at The Winthrop Ballpark.

Winthrop has now won nine of its last 11 games as it improves to 25-18 overall and 12-5 in the Big South. The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 22-24 overall and 9-11 in the league. The two teams wrap-up the series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. and the Eagles will have an opportunity for a sweep.

Nate Pawelczyk tossed seven strong innings allowing an unearned run on four hits with a walk and nine strikeouts to improve to 7-1 on the year. Riley Arnone tossed the final two innings for his second save of the season allowing just one hit.

Winthrop took a 1-0 lead after an inning on a Mitch Spires RBI double with two outs but the Runnin' Bulldogs responded right away in the top of the second to tie the game. Tyler Halstead, who was the hero in game one of the series, drove in what would be the eventual winning run in the bottom of the season on a solo home run to left. It was the first of his Winthrop career. Brandon Fite provided some insurance for the Eagles in the fourth on an RBI single that scored Babe Thomas.

Bradley Hallman took the loss for Gardner-Webb as he allowed three runs on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts in eight innings and is now 3-4.

Anthony Paulsen extended his hitting streak to 10 games and has now reached in 24 straight. Hunter Lipscomb's streak of reaching base came to an end at 21 games.