CLINTON, SC - Winthrop earned a split of a doubleheader against Presbyterian Saturday at the PC Baseball Complex to move to 27-17 on the season and 14-7 in Big South play, winning the first game of the doubleheader 6-4 behind a complete game by Nate Pawelczyk before dropping the series finale 4-1 thanks to a complete game by PC's Jackson Dean. 

GAME ONE - HOW IT HAPPENED

- Nate Pawelczyk turned in yet another dominant performance on the mound, tossing his second complete game of the season and earning his eighth win of the campaign (8-3). Pawelczyk went the distance in game one, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits, striking out six and walking only one on 104 pitches. Pawelczyk had to work out of a few jams, including leaving the tying run stranded on third in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pawelczyk's effort was the backbone of the Eagles' effort in game one. 

- Winthrop got on the board in the top of the second inning thanks to Grant English's effort on the base paths. English walked, then advanced to second base on a pickoff throwing error by the pitcher. Once in scoring position, English stole third base then came in to score on a passed ball, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead without having to put the ball in play. 

- In the top of the third inning, Alex Raines singled through the left side, then stole second base to set up Spencer Yankle for an RBI single up the middle to give Winthrop a 2-1 lead. 

- In the sixth inning, Winthrop scored three more times to take a 5-2 lead. Spencer Yankle led off the inning being hit by a pitch, and two batters later Grant English singled through the left side, advancing Spencer Yankle to third base. After English stole second base to put runners on second and third, Matthew Mulkey reached on an RBI fielder's choice to score Yankle and move English to third. Mulkey then stole second to set the Eagles up with runners on second and third again, and both came in to score on a two-out two-RBI single to center field by Brandon Fite to give the Eagles a three run lead. 

- After Presbyterian scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 5-4 ballgame, the Eagles came back with a big insurance run in the top of the ninth. Brandon Fite doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Fite would score on an RBI single up the middle by Tyler Baker to give the Eagles a 6-2 lead. 

GAME ONE - NOTABLES

- Nate Pawelczyk's eighth win gives him the most of any pitcher in the Big South conference, and his second complete game ties him with PC's Eric Miles for the most in the league this season. 

GAME TWO - HOW IT HAPPENED

- Thad Harris got the start in game two for the Eagles, and was cruising along on one hit allowed through four innings when things got a little rocky in the fifth. Two walks and a throwing error on a fielder's choice set up PC's Zaccheus Rasberry for a ground-rule double down the right field line to score two runs and give the Blue Hose a 2-0 lead. Following the double, Rasberry came in to score on an RBI single and Presbyterian had a 3-0 lead off Harris. Harris didn't pitch poorly but got no run support from his offense, and was the losing pitcher in game two (3-5). 

- Dalton Whitaker entered with nobody out in the sixth inning and logged a scoreless inning including one strikeout, extending his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 11.1 frames. Jason Crumley came on following Whitaker and logged 1.1 in game two, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out two. Colten Rendon was the final arm out of the bullpen, coming on with one out in the bottom of the eighth and allowed one inherited runner to score (charged to Crumley) but nothing more, allowing one hit. Rendon has now also thrown 11.1 consecutive scoreless innings. 

- Offensively, the Eagles' bats were silenced by PC starter Jackson Dean, who went the distance for his first career complete game. Winthrop's only run in game two came in the top of the eighth inning. Brandon Fite led off the inning with a double to left center field off the top of the wall, missing a home run by about a foot. Fite was then driven in by an RBI single up the middle by Scout McFalls. 

UP NEXT: The Eagles travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on North Carolina this coming Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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