LYNCHBURG, Va. – In its opening game of the 2018 Big South Tournament, Winthrop baseball (25-30, 15-12 Big South Conference) fell just short as Gardner-Webb (30-25, 14-13 Big South Conference) came away with a 7-5 victory. The Eagles posted 13 hits on the day but allowed 11 and committed two errors that put the Runnin' Bulldogs ahead.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Starting right-handed pitcher
Nate Pawelczyk came out strong, sitting down the Runnin' Bulldogs in order in both the 1
st and 2
nd innings.
-
Jake Sullivan belted a triple in the 1st and
Hunter Lipscomb added a two-out single in the 2
nd, but no runs scored.
-Gardner-Webb got on the board first in the top of the 3
rd as Chris Clary got on base on an error, then stole second and was brought home on a Ben LaSpaluto double to left field for a 1-0 lead.
-GWU extended the lead with a four-spot in the 4
th, all unearned runs.
-The Eagles got on the board in the 5
th as
Cale Gibson,
Hunter Lipscomb and
Brandon Fite belted three-straight singles, with Fite's scoring Gibson, cutting the lead to 5-1 GWU.
-Winthrop charged even closer in the bottom of the 6
th with a four-hit, three-run inning to draw to within one run at 5-4.
Mitch Spires hits a solo home run, followed by back-to-back hits from
Tyler Halstead and
Dillon Morton, a double and a single respectively. Gibson would reach on an fielder's choice, scoring Haltstead, and Fite's second RBI of the day would score Gibson.
-GWU plated one in the 7
th to push the lead back to 6-4.
-LHP
Jason Crumley took the mound for Winthrop with one on and one out and held off the Runnin' Bulldogs through the 7
th and 8
th, but GWU got a run across on a bases loaded walk in the top of the 9
th to extend the lead to 7-4.
-
Connor O'Brien got things going for Winthrop in the 9
th with a leadoff single, followed by a
Scout McFalls double to give the Eagles a scoring threat with no outs. A Sullivan strikeout swinging brought Spires to the plate, who sent one deep to left center for a sacrifice fly. O'Brien would score on the tag to cut it to 7-5. A Halstead ground out would end the scoring threat and the game.
NOTABLES
-Winthrop's 13 hits was the most since the Eagles also belted 13 in a 4-3 walk-off loss to Charleston Southern on May 5.
-
Mitch Spires went 2-for-4 with two RBI, marking his 20
th multiple-hit game of the season, the team-high. It was his seventh multiple-RBI game of the season, third-best on the squad.
-
Brandon Fite recorded two RBI for just the second time this season.
-
Cale Gibson was 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI.
UP NEXT
Winthrop will face eighth-seeded Longwood in an elimination game in the final matchup of the day. First pitch will be approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. game with Winthrop sophomore RHP
Zach Peek set to start on the mound.