ROCK HILL, SC - Winthrop secured their fourth straight win on Friday night as Zach Peek tossed a complete game shutout against Gardner Webb to earn his fifth win of the season (5-2). Winthrop improved to 22-15 on the season with an 11-5 mark in Big South play with the win, and the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped to 17-17 overall on the year and 7-9 in Big South play with the loss. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

- Junior right-hander Zach Peek turned in the best start by any Winthrop pitcher in 2019, going the distance and completely shutting down the Gardner Webb offense. Peek allowed only six hits and escaped a jam in the top of the eighth with runners on first and second and nobody out to keep his outing alive and Gardner-Webb off the scoreboard. Peek walked two batters and struck out eight on Friday, earning his fifth win to move to 5-2 on the season. Friday's start lowered Peek's season ERA to 3.79. 

- The Eagles scored both of their runs in the bottom of the first inning. Alex Raines singled on a line drive to right field with one out, and was driven in from an RBI triple by Spencer Yankle, a long line drive off the right center field wall. Yankle was quickly brought in to score from third on an RBI groundout to second base by Hunter Lipscomb, giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead. That was all Winthrop needed on Friday, as Zach Peek did the rest. 

NOTABLES

- Peek's complete game was the first complete game by a Winthrop starting pitcher this year, and the first by a Winthrop pitcher since Daniel Willcutt's complete game against UNC Asheville on April 21, 2018. Peek's eight Friday strikeouts were the third most in any of his starts this season. 

- The Eagles managed only four hits on Friday, two of them coming from Alex Raines (2-4, R). 

UP NEXT: The Eagles will give the ball to Nate Pawelczyk for game two of the series, scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night at the Winthrop Ballpark. 

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