CHAPEL HILL, NC - Winthrop held an early lead at Boshamer Stadium and tied the ballgame 5-5 at the halfway point but were outslugged by North Carolina on Tuesday night, dropping a 13-9 contest to the Tar Heels that dropped Winthrop to 27-18 overall on the season (14-7 Big South) while North Carolina is now 35-12 with the win. The Eagles scored nine runs on fourteen hits in the losing effort. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

- Winthrop starter Braxton Foley got only one out into the second inning on Tuesday and surrendered five earned runs on five hits, facing nine batters and throwing 26 pitches. The next two Winthrop pitchers, Mason Groves (1.2 IP) and Bryan Petta (1.1 IP) tossed shutout ball out of the bullpen, allowing one hit combined. Following Petta, Macklin Ohs came into the ballgame and lasted 0.1 innings, allowing two earned runs due to two walks. Ohs was Tuesday's losing pitcher for the Eagles, falling to 0-2 on the season. The Eagle's newfound trio of top bullpen arms in Jason Crumley, Dalton Whitaker and Colten Rendon went the rest of the way for the Eagles, and all three had difficulties navigating the Tar Heel's talent-rich lineup. Crumley logged 1.1 innings and allowed one earned run on three hits, walking two in the process. Whitaker saw his streak of 11.1 consecutive scoreless innings come to an end on Tuesday, allowing four earned runs on four hits with one walk in his inning of work. Rendon's own streak of 11.1 straight scoreless frames was snapped as well, giving up one earned run thanks to two walks in the inning. 

- Offensively, Winthrop drew first blood in the top of the first inning when Spencer Yankle reached on a two-out infield single and came around to on a double to right center field by Hunter Lipscomb, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. 

- After five straight Tar Heel runs gave North Carolina a 5-1 lead after four innings, the Eagles scored four times in the frame to tie the game at five. A single and two errors loaded the bases to begin the inning for the Eagles, and two batters later Grant English walked with the bases loaded with one out, scoring Scout McFalls to make it 5-2 North Carolina. Matthew Mulkey was the next man up and shot a single through the UNC infield to score two runs in the form of Alex Raines and Spencer Yankle, cutting the Tar Heels' lead to one. After Jake Sullivan walked, Brandon Fite tied the game with an RBI single that scored Grant English. 

- Winthrop came to the plate trailing 8-5 after North Carolina scored three times in the fifth, and scored two runs to cut the Tar Heels' lead to one. Brandon Fite and Tyler Baker drew back-to-back walks with one out, and Fite then came in to score when Scout McFalls reached on an error by North Carolina's left fielder. The next batter Alex Raines then hit a sacrifice fly to right field in foul ground,  scoring Tyler Baker to bring the Eagles within one at 8-7. 

- North Carolina scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 12-7 lead, and in the top of the eighth the Eagles brought across their final two runs of the night. After Grant English doubled to left center and Matthew Mulkey singled to left center, the Eagles were set up with runners on first and third with one out. English came in to score on a passed ball to make it 12-8 North Carolina and Mulkey advanced to second on the play. Mulkey would go on to also score on a passed ball but all the way from second base, advancing to third then taking home when home plate was left uncovered. 

NOTABLES

- Brandon Fite and Matthew Mulkey both logged three hit games for the Eagles on Tuesday night. Fite went 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Mulkey went 3-6 with two runs batted in with a run scored. 

- Alex Raines (2-5, RBI, R) and Spencer Yankle (2-6, 2R) also logged multi-hit games for Winthrop. 

UP NEXT: Winthrop looks to the weekend series with Campbell at the Winthrop Ballpark with first place in the Big South Conference on the line (Winthrop trails by 1.5 games). Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m.