Box Score N. CHARLESTON, SC— For the second straight day,
Ansley Gilreath provided late game heroics as she hit a two-run homerun in the top of the seventh to help Winthrop softball rally for a 4-2 victory at Charleston Southern, taking the series 2-1.
GAME INFORMATION
RECORDS: Winthrop (26-23, 14-10 Big South) | Charleston Southern (18-34, 12-12 Big South)
WINTHROP LEADERS: Ansley Gilreath (1-3, R, HR, 2RBI) |
Kiley Majette (W, 4IP, 2H, 0R, 4K) |
Blake Wallert (3-4, R, 2B, SB)
WHAT HAPPENED
- Eagles grabbed the lead in the top of the first as Blake Wallert led off the game with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then Morgan Lowers walked
- Lowers stole second to get two runners in scoring position but the Eagles were only able to push one across
- After Ashley Westbrooks line out to second, Keleigh Romine grounded out to the pitcher, but Wallert race home for the 1-0 lead
- Charleston Southern grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third inning
- Erika Cooper led off the inning with a single to left center and moved to second on a sacrifice by SeaEnna Satcher
- Watson got the second out with a fly out but then the Bucs came through with three straight singles to take the lead
- Trailing 2-1 heading in the top of the seventh, Watson got things going with a leadoff single and was replaced by pinch-runner Rema Patel
- After Tori Walker flied out to right, Ansley Gilreath hit a two-run homerun to right center on a 1-2 pitch for a 3-2 lead
- Taylor Charlton then doubled down the left field line followed by a single from Blake Wallert to put runners at the corners with one out
- Wallert stole second to put two runners in scoring position as Lowers scored Charlton on a sacrifice fly
- On the same play after Charlton scored, Wallert was caught off the bag and out at third but the Eagles headed to the bottom half with a two-run lead
- Kiley Majette gave up two singles with two outs, but struck out the final batter for the win
- Watson started the game in the circle and didn't factor in the decision after allowing two runs on four hits in three innings
- Majette earned the win in relief as she tossed four inning allowing just two hits with no walks and four strikeouts to improve to 8-13 on the year
EXTRA BASES
- The Eagles have a chance to finish third in the Big South Conference standings but only if Campbell wins the series with Radford 2-1
- Watson didn't factor in the decision as she finishes the regular season 9-0 in conference play, which is the first player to do so since Megan Evans was 7-0 in 2009
- Eagles are 10-4 over their last 14 games to end the regular season
- Of the seven runs Charleston Southern scored in the series, five of the runs came in the third inning
- The 14 league wins for the Eagles are the most since they won 14 in 2015, which is tied for the most since the 2009 team won 15
ON DECK
The Eagles will await for the remainder of the Big South Conference slate to be completed this weekend and the announcement of the seeds for next week's conference championship. The Big South Championship will be played in Buies Creek, NC on the campus of Campbell University.
