Winthrop baseball loses 3-1 to the Citadel.
ROCK HILL, SC – The Eagles’ bats go cold as Winthrop fell to The Citadel 3-1 on a chilly Wednesday night at The Winthrop Ballpark.
Winthrop was unable to battle back after falling behind early 3-0, as the Bulldog bullpen silenced the Eagles’ offense allowing only one hit in 4.1 innings. The Eagles threatened in the fifth with two outs as they were able to score an unearned run, however they would get no closer.
The loss drops Winthrop to 3-9 on the season, while The Citadel improves to 8-5 (2-0 vs. Winthrop).
The Bulldogs struck first in the third when designated hitter Jason Smith drove a 0-2 pitch to right field off Eagles’ starter Sam Kmiec (0-2) scoring Bret Hines and Mason Davis, giving The Citadel a 2-0 lead.
The Citadel tacked on an unearned run in the fourth on a two-out double by Calvin Orth scoring Tyler Griffin from first base extending the lead to 3-0.
The Eagles were able to get on the board against Bulldogs’ freshman starter Austin Livingston (0-0) in the fifth when Jace Whitley ripped a two-out single to center field followed by walk by Leighton Daniels. The right fielder misplayed a fly ball from the next batter, Cody Dolan, allowing Whitley to score the Eagles’ sole run of the game.
The Citadel bullpen did not allow the Eagles to come any closer as Bulldog closer Skylar Hunter would secure the 3-1 victory with his third save of the season.
Despite the loss, Winthrop received a strong showing from its bullpen. In relief, Mitchell Knox, Steven Howell, Josh Strong, and Jared Keels combined to shut out the Bulldogs over five innings of work while striking out six.
“Our bullpen did its job,” head coach Tom Riginos mentioned after the game. “However, we have to get better from an offensive standpoint.”
The Eagles look to rebound Friday as they welcome The University of Pennsylvania to The Winthrop Ballpark for a three game weekend series. The teams are set to play Friday at 6:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The ticket window at The Winthrop Ballpark opens one hour before game time.
