ROCK HILL, SC - Winthrop snapped a three game Big South losing streak on Friday night, beating High Point 8-2 for the Eagles' second straight win overall. Zach Peek was dominant on Friday, as the junior went 8.1 innings and was backed by a potent offense that hit three home runs. The Eagles moved to 16-13 and 7-3 in Big South play with the win, and the Panthers dropped to 11-16 and 4-6 in league play with the series opening loss. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

- Zach Peek turned in his best start of the season on Friday night, turning in 8.1 dominant innings of two-run ball. Peek's stuff got better as the night progressed, allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits, striking out eight and walking two. Peek threw only 107 pitches and was removed in the ninth after allowing a one-out double. Peek was the winning pitcher, improving to 4-1 on the season. Dalton Whitaker got the final two outs for the Eagles on Friday night, allowing one hit and recording one strikeout. 

- Offensively, the Eagles got right to work in the bottom of the first inning. After Scout McFalls singled to left field to lead off the game, two batters later Spencer Yankle knocked his third home run of the season over the wall, a line drive to left field to put the Eagles on top 2-0. In the bottom of the second, Winthrop added three more runs to take a 5-0 lead. Brandon Fite walked with two outs, stole second base, and came in to score on an RBI single to right field by Tyler Baker. With Baker on first, Scout McFalls lined a home run over the right field wall for his second of the season, a two-run shot and McFalls' second hit of the game. 

- Winthrop's third long ball of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Grant English hit his second home run of the season, an opposite field shot to left field for his second home run in as many games. English's Friday homer came left-handed while his Tuesday homer against Furman came from the right side. 

- The Eagles' final two runs came in the fourth and sixth innings, when Tyler Baker came around to score on a Scout McFalls RBI single to right field for McFalls' third hit of the game and third RBI. In the bottom of the sixth, Matthew Mulkey scored from third on an RBI single from Brandon Fite, a chopper that just got over the glove of the High Point third baseman. 

NOTABLES

- Scout McFalls reached base all four times at-bat in the series opener, going 3-3 with a home run, two singles and a walk, to go along with two stolen bases and 3 RBI. Friday was McFalls' fifth 3-hit game of the season. 

- Friday was Zach Peek's longest outing of the season and third-longest of his career, working into the ninth inning for an outing of 8.1 innings. 

- Winthrop scored eight or more runs for the ninth time in 2019 on Friday night, with Winthrop going 8-1 in such games this season. 

UP NEXT: The Eagles hand the ball to Nate Pawelczyk for game two of the series, set for 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.