ATHENS, GA— Winthrop softball won its third straight as it closed out the Red & Black Showcase with a 7-2 victory over Samford, Sunday afternoon.
 
GAME INFORMATION
RECORDS: Winthrop (4-1), Samford (1-9)
WINTHROP LEADERS: Madyson Watson (2-for-3, run, 2 RBI, Win, 4.2 IP, 2ER, 1BB, 3K), Ansley Gilreath (2-for-3, run, BB), Morgan Lowers (1-for-4, RBI)
 
COACHES QUOTE
Head Coach Mark Cooke~
"I thought Madyson did a good job today. She wasn't as sharp as she can be but battled. I thought we had a great tournament and played well as a team. I'm excited for what this team can do this season."       
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Winthrop grabbed a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning
• Samford had a chance to take the lead in the first after two singles put runners at the corners but Madyson Watson worked her way out of the jam
• With one out in the fourth, Ansley Gilreath walked and then Blake Wallert reached on an error to put runners at first and second
• A.G. Gardner was hit to load the bases and Watson singled to the pitcher for a 1-0 lead and the second run came across on a throwing error by the shortstop
• Tori Walker made it 3-0 when she singled to center, scoring Gardner
• Makenzye Whitman drove in her first career run on a ground out to second for the 4-0 lead
• Watson ran into a little trouble again in the 2^nd inning with runners at 1^st and 2^nd but got a fly and pop out to end the threat
• Samford got on the board in the 3^rd inning as Hannah Trombley grounded out to second allowing Kelsey Royalty to score
• In the top of the fourth Morgan Lowers extended her hitting streak to 11 games as she doubled to right center, scoring Walker
• Walker helped her own cause again in the 5^th inning when she singled to right to score pinch-runner Reema Patel from second for a 6-1 lead
• Whitney Hinton made it a 6-2 game with an RBI single to left center in the 5^th
• Winthrop added an insurance run in the seventh as it loaded the bases and Logan Webb singled to short, scoring Taylor Charlton

 
EXTRA BASES

• Lowers extended her hitting streak to 11 games, which ties her career-high
• Lowers finished the weekend 8-for-15 with three doubles and two RBI
• Watson's had a career-high two hits and career-best two RBI
• Winthrop had 16 players in the game see at least one at-bat
• Samford finished the game with 10 hits as four different players had two hits each (Shelby Maze, Kelsey Royalty, Hannah Trobmley and Ryan Brzozoski)
• Winthrop left 11 runners stranded as the Bulldogs had 10 runners left on base

 
ON DECK
Winthrop will be off during the week and back in action on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. with a double-header at USC Upstate as part of the Spartan Classic. Sunday's games will be played at Furman as the Eagles face Marshall and Furman.