ROCK HILL, S.C. – With a third-straight day of phenomenal pitching, seen in a complete game by senior Daniel Willcutt, Winthrop baseball (20-22, 12-6 Big South Conference) completed the series sweep with a 4-3 win over UNC Asheville (10-29, 5-13 Big South Conference).

HOW IT HAPPENED
-Daniel Willcutt made his first weekend start of the season and got off to a strong start as the Bulldogs went down in order to start off the game.

-Mitch Spires sent a triple deep to right center to score Jake Sullivan (who got on base when hit by a pitch) in the bottom of the 1^st to get the Eagles on the board first.

-Asheville plated two in the 2^nd on a single to take a 2-1 lead.

-Spires led off the 3rd with a double, and Asheville's Nick Boyles put Dillon Morton on with a walk. Tyler Halstead then sent a no-doubter to over the left field fence for a three-run score and a 4-2 lead.

-Freshman Ryan Watson knocked his second career hit, a double, with two outs in the bottom of the 3^rd, but was tagged out heading for home on a Scout McFalls single.

-Asheville would cut the margin to 4-3 with an RBI double by Brandon Lankford in the top of the 4^th.

-The Bulldogs went down in order in the 5^th, still facing starter Willcutt, and the Eagles did the same in the bottom half of the inning as Asheville brought in its fourth pitcher of the day in Austin Fahr.

-In the 6^th, Asheville's Joe Gruszka hit a leadoff triple, but it would be the Bulldogs' only hit of the inning and the run would not get across from third.

-Both squads recorded two hits each in the 7^th, with no runs scored.

-Willcutt hit 100 pitches as he sat down the Bulldogs in order in the 8^th and followed suit in the 9^th as the Bulldogs went three up, three down as Willcutt completed the game.  

NOTABLES

-Making his first weekend conference start of the season, senior Daniel Willcutt went for a complete game for the first time in his Eagle career, allowing just six hits and three runs, issuing only one walk and recording three strikeouts on 111 pitches.

-Asheville sent six pitchers to the mound in the loss. The Eagles used five pitchers in the entire three-game series.

-Leading-hitter Mitch Spires has recorded at least one hit in 13 of the last 14 games, belting a double and a triple in today's win. The double brings his season total for two-base hits to 12, the team-high. Spires leads the squad with 17 multiple-hit games.

UP NEXT
The Eagles host Wofford in nonconference action on Tues., Apr. 24 at 6 p.m. at The Winthrop Ballpark before a bye weekend break during Winthrop's final exams.