STATESBORO, GA— Winthrop softball opened the 2019 season with a 7-1 victory over Savannah State before falling 6-4 to UT Martin on Day 1 of the Bash in the Boro hosted by Georgia Southern.
 
GAME INFORMATION
RECORDS: Winthrop (1-0) | Savannah State (0-1) | UT Martin (1-0)
WINTHROP LEADERS: Tori Walker (4-for-5, 4R, 2B, HR) / Morgan Lowers (2-for-7, 2R, 3B, 3RBI) / Kiley Majette (Win, CG, 7IP, 5H, 1R, 2BB, 8K)
 
WHAT HAPPENED
vs. Savannah State

• Eagles pushed five across in the second to open the game up
• Leading 1-0 heading into the second, Brooke Ellison set the table with a leadoff triple to center
• After a Kiley Majette ground out that kept Ellison at third, Taylor Charlton doubled to left center to plate Ellison for a 2-0 lead
• Tori Walker doubled to left to put runners at second and third with one out and Morgan Lowers came through with a triple to right center for a 4-0 lead
• Winthrop tacked on two more as Ashley Westbrooks drove in Lowers on a ground out and Keleigh Romine connected for a solo shot to make it 6-0
• Walker led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left, the first of her collegiate career
• Majette tossed a complete game allowing one run on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts
• Walker finished with three runs in the game while joining Romine as the only two players with multiple hits (2 each) 

vs. UT Martin

• This came down to the matter of one inning as the Eagles allowed four runs in the second to fall behind 5-0 as Gracyn McBride connected for a grand slam
• The inning began with the leadoff reaching on an error
• Madyson Watson struck out the next two batters, which should have been three outs but the Skyhawks still had life and took advantage
• After a single put runners at first and second, Watson hit the next batter to load the bases and McBride stepped up and hit a 1-0 pitch to center
• The Eagles got one back to make it 5-1 as Walker scored on an error by the right fielder
• UT Martin added another run in the third as a wild pitch led to a throwing error that allowed the runner to score
• Eagles started to chip away at the deficit inning as Logan Webb drove in a run on a groundout in the 4^th and Lowers led off the 5^th with a solo home run to make it a 6-3 game
• Winthrop made it a two-run game in the 7^th as Blake Wallert delivered an RBI single to right and moved to second on the throw
• Wallert advancing to second put the tying run in scoring position with runners at second and third
• Sabrina Shroades stepped in with an opportunity to tie the game but struck out on a 2-2 pitch
• Winthrop finished with seven hits to UT Martin's five and left a total of 10 runners on base
• Watson took the loss as she tossed three innings allowing six runs (one earned) on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts
• Shroades threw three innings in relief without allowing a hit and had no walks and two strikeouts 

EXTRA BASES

• Ellison missed 2018 with an injury and in her first at-bat since the end of the 2017 season she tripled on the 4^th pitch
• The win for Majette was the 34^th of her career as she tossed her 45^th complete game
• The win moves Majette into 10^th all-time in program history for victories
• Majette is now 29 strikeouts from 400 in her career, which has been achieved by six players in program history
• Winthrop generated several opportunities over the two games with 16 hits (seven extra base hits) as it finished with 18 runners left on base
• Walker led the Eagles with four runs and four hits on the day while Wallert, Romine and Lowers each had two
• Winthrop has won seven of its last nine season openers 

ON DECK
Winthrop will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 9 for Day 2 of the Bash in the Boro as it will face Savannah State at 2 p.m. and the host Georgia Southern at 7 p.m.