FARMVILLE, Va. – Winthrop bounced back from Thursday's three-hit performance in a big way, using a nine-run eighth inning to take down Longwood 15-3 in game two of the three-game Big South series Friday night at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
The Big South's top hitting team, Winthrop broke out for 19 hits just one night after Longwood (21-31, 9-14 Big South) held them to three knocks in a series-opening pitcher's duel that the Eagles came from behind to win, 2-1, in the ninth inning. The bounce-back, 19-hit game-two performance marked the sixth double-digit hitting effort in Winthrop's last seven games and boosted the team's batting average to a Big South-leading .300 on the season.
Led by a 5-for-5 day from outfielder Anthony Paulsen Friday, the Eagles (37-17, 15-8 Big South) chipped their way to a 6-2 lead through seven innings before breaking the game open in the ninth. Paulsen had two hits during that nine-run rally, including the first of six straight Winthrop singles. The Eagles would send 13 batters to the plate during that frame before Longwood sophomore
Garrett Paul put them away.
Prior to the big inning, Winthrop coasted on the strength of a three-run first inning and four shutout frames from ace Matt Crohan. Crohan, whose 2.51 ERA and .198 opponent batting average are among the top five clips in the Big South, gave up a lone single to
Mac McCafferty in his four innings of one-hit ball before being lifted after 67 pitches.
Longwood finally got on the board after Crohan's exit when junior
Kyri Washington crushed a two-run home run over the left field wall off Freddie Sultan (3-2) in the bottom of the seventh. Washington's Big South-leading 13th long ball of the year came with two outs and extended a late-season surge in which he has homered six times in his past 14 games while hitting .297 with 16 RBI during that span.
Winthrop quickly put Washington's long ball behind them, however, immediately responding with the nine-run eighth. Washington's home run was a just blip on the performance of Winthrop's arms, as the quartet of Crohan, Sultan (3-2), Carson Gregory and Zach Cook allowed just seven hits. Those four worked around three errors as well, stranding 10 Longwood base runners including team on base percentage leader
C.J. Roth who went 2-for-3 with a walk but was left on base each time.
Winthrop stranded 11 runners of their own but drove in 15 thanks to multi-hit efforts from Babe Thomas (4-for-5), John Menken (2-for-4), Mitch Spires (2-for-5), Brad Kaczka (2-for-5) and Jace Whitley (2-for-6). Whitley drove in three runs with a first-inning double and a two-run single in the eighth while Paulsen and Mark Lowrie plated two each.
Following the pitching-controlled game one and offensive-minded game two, Longwood and Winthrop will play their regular season finale Saturday at 1 p.m. The Eagles will send southpaw Josh Stone (7-3, 2.92 ERA) to the mound opposite a Longwood starter to be announced. Prior to the game, Longwood will honor its five seniors for their contributions to the program over the past four years.
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