GREENVILLE, NC— Winthrop softball fell 3-2 in eight innings to Massachusetts Friday afternoon on the opening day of the Purple-Gold Invitational. The second game of the day against host East Carolina was canceled due to inclement weather
GAME INFORMATION
RECORDS: Winthrop (7-7) | UMASS (5-7)
WINTHROP LEADERS: Brooke Ellison (2-for-3, 3B, 2RBI) |
Keleigh Romine (2-for-4, R)
WHAT HAPPENED
vs. UMASS
- Eagles struck first as Brooke Ellison delivered a triple to left center, scoring two runs
- Tori Walker led off the inning with a single and then Keleigh Romine singled with two outs before Ellison hit her third triple of the season
- In the 3rd inning the Minutewomen cut the Eagles lead in half as Riley Gregoire singled with two outs and scored on a double from Kaitlyn Stavinoha
- UMASS tied the game in the fifth as Gregoire led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a single from Stavinoha
- After Gregoire was thrown out trying to steal, Stavinoha ended up on third and tied the game on a sacrifice fly from Madison Gimpl
- In the bottom of the fourth the Eagles tried to add to their lead as Romine and Ellison started off the inning with back-to-back singles up the middle forcing a pitching change by UMASS
- Two batters later Taylor Charlton doubled to left, but Romine was thrown out at home while Ellison moved to third
- A.G. Gardner was hit by a pitch to load the bases but the threat ended on a fly out to right by Logan Webb
- In the 8th the team's used the international tie breaker as Gregoire was placed on second to start and scored on a Stavinoha double to left
- Gimpl followed with a single but Stavinoha was thrown out at the plate by Romine trying to score on the play
- Walker was placed on second to start the bottom of the eighth and was thrown out on a bunt by Morgan Lowers
- Lowers advanced to second on a wild pitch to put a runner back in scoring position but Ashley Westbrooks lined out to short and Romine struck out after fouling a couple of pitches off
- Majette takes the loss and falls to 2-2 after allowing one unearned run on two hits with no walks and three strikeouts in three innings of relief
- Romine and Ellison each finished with two hits in the game
- Shavinoha finished 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead UMASS while Gregoire finished with two hits and two runs
EXTRA BASES
- The game scheduled against East Carolina will not be made up
- Once again the Eagles managed to score runs in the first inning and have now done so in eight of 14 games on the season
- Taylor Charlton has now doubled in two of the last three games
- Ellison made her first collegiate start at shortstop and finished with three assists
- In 2018 the Eagles had one triple in 49 games and already have six as a team this season through 14 games
ON DECK
Winthrop is back in action on Saturday, Mar. 2 at the Purple-Gold Invitational as it will face Columbia at 10 a.m. and then face UMASS again at 12:30 p.m.