ROCK HILL, SC - Winthrop scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon, capped off by a walk-off two run single by
Dillon Morton to left field to score
Andrew Jenner and
Scout McFalls to give Winthrop the win in the series finale against Kent State. The Eagles go to 9-2 on the season with victory, and Kent State dropped to 6-4 overall after winning the first two games of the series.
Winthrop got on the board first Sunday, when in the bottom of the third inning
Andrew Jenner singled to center field to score leadoff man
Luke Hannum from second base to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
After two solo home runs put Kent State up 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning, the Eagles came back with one in the bottom half to tie the game.
Luke Hannum stood at second base with one out, and once again it was
Andrew Jenner with the RBI knock, this time another single into center field to score Hannum to even the score 2-2.
The two sides traded scoreless frames until the ninth inning, when five of Sunday's nine runs were scored. Kent State pushed two runs across in the top of the ninth to give the Golden Flashes a 4-2 lead. Then, facing a series sweep at home, the Eagles plated three runs to come back to win as they rattled off five straight hits against Kent State closer Tyler Drabick.
Ethan Fewell led off the ninth by hitting a double off the base of the left field wall, and was quickly advanced to third on an
Andrew Jenner single to right field, Jenner's fourth base hit of the ballgame. With runners on the corners and no outs,
Scout McFalls laid down a bunt single in which Fewell won the race to the plate to score Winthrop's third run and make it a 4-3 game.
Spencer Yankle then reached on an infield single, setting Winthrop up with the bases loaded and nobody out, trailing by a run.
Dillon Morton came to the plate and lined the game winning single to left field, scoring Jenner from third and McFalls from second to cue the celebration in the outfield for the Eagles. Morton finished Sunday 2-4 with a pair of RBI.
On the mound,
Tyler Jones went five innings in his Sunday start, as the sophomore right-hander allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits, striking out four and walking two to ultimately earn a no decision, throwing 79 pitches.
Jason Crumley took over on the hill in the sixth for Winthrop, and the senior left-hander logged 3.0 innings of one run, four hit ball to keep the Eagles close, throwing 50 pitches.
Dalton Mims came on with a runner on first and nobody out in the top of the ninth inning, and committed a throwing error to advance the Kent State runner to third - but bounced back to get the next two hitters to set up
Colten Rendon with a runner on third and two outs. Rendon yielded two hits and one run (unearned), and ended up being the winning pitcher for the Eagles Sunday thanks to Morton's walk-off single. Rendon is now 1-0 on the season.
UP NEXT: Winthrop travels to Spartanburg, SC Tuesday night to take on the Wofford Terriers for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Russell C. King Field. Tuesday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ as well as an audio only Winthrop radio broadcast.
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