ROCK HILL, SC— A five-run third inning proved costly for Winthrop as it fell 9-5 in the opening game of its weekend series with Radford, Friday evening on Terry Field.
 
GAME INFORMATION
RECORDS: Winthrop (13-15, 3-4 Big South), Radford (15-12, 1-3 Big South)
WINTHROP LEADERS: Ansley Gilreath (1-for-2, R, HR, 2RBI, BB), Ashley Westbrooks (2-for-4, 2R, HR, RBI) Madyson Watson (4.2 IP relief, 2R, 2H, 2BB, 4K / 2-for-2, R, RBI)
 
COACHES QUOTE
Head Coach Mark Cooke~
"That was probably the most complete, bad game we've this year. We didn't do any of the things we needed to do to win that game. We gave up timely hits, we made timely errors and we made terrible swings with runners in scoring position. We just can't do that, we're not good enough to make those kind of mistakes, we just have to dig in and prepare for tomorrow. We scored five runs off of Abby Morrow, I feel we should win as she's a terrific pitcher but we scored five runs and lost. Tomorrow we just have to regroup and get better."
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Radford pushed two runs across in the first for an early lead
• Marissa Gagliano was hit by the first pitch of the game and was sacrificed to second
• Talia Douglas singled up the middle to score Gagliano and moved to second on an error as Morgan Lowers overran the ball
• Douglas scored on a Maggie Rowe single up the middle as Rowe moved to second on an error as the throw home went to the backstop
• Winthrop bounced back to tie the game in the bottom of the second as Ansley Gilreath belted her fifth home run of the season
• The Highlanders opened up the game with a five-run third
• The big hit came off the bat of Marissa Yow as she hit a three-run home run to left just after an error put two runners aboard
• The Eagles tried to chip away at the deficit as Ashley Westbrooks hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third and Sabrina Shroades had a fielder's choice RBI with the bases loaded in the fourth
• Winthrop loaded the bases again in the fifth inning as Madyson Watson singled just over the first baseman's head to make it a 7-5 game
• Gilreath followed with a slow grounder to second as Radford's Hannah Medlam charged the ball, scooped it up and snapped a quick throw home to just get the force out on the play and keep the Highlanders ahead by two runs
• Radford added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Sofia Tapia and Rowe delivered RBI hits
• Kiley Majette suffered the loss in the circle after allowing seven runs (four earned) on five hits with no walks and two strikeouts as she's now 7-7
• Watson tossed 4.1 innings of relief allowing only the two hits and two runs in the seventh as she walked two and struck out four

 
EXTRA BASES

• Keleigh Romine has now reached base in 12 straight games after reaching on an error to lead off the second
• Winthrop finished the game 1-for-4 with the bases loaded as it entered the contest 10-for-18 on the season (.556)
• Both teams combined to go 8-for-23 with runners in scoring position as the Eagles stranded five runners and Radford left four on base
• The two teams also combined for seven extra base hits
• Winthrop hit two home runs off Abby Morrow, who had allowed just two homeruns all year and Radford had allowed just seven
• This was the first time in three conference series the Eagles dropped the first game

 
ON DECK
Winthrop and Radford will complete the series on Saturday, Mar. 31 with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and both games will air on the Big South Network.