3-0 First Inning Start Fuels Winthrop To Victory At The Citadel

3-0 First Inning Start Fuels Winthrop To Victory At The Citadel

Charleston, S.C. – Harrison Wilson’s two-run RBI single in the first inning proved to be the difference as Winthrop hung on for a 4-3 victory at The Citadel on Tuesday night. Winthrop moves to 12-14-1 overall.

Key Contributors (Game 1)

• Harrison Wilson (1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI)
• W: Brady Houston (2-3)
• L: Conner Cummiskey (2-3)
• S: Parker Kruglewicz (3)

How It Happened

Winthrop loaded the bases with no one out to begin the game and then immediately burst out to a 3-0 lead. A pitch hit Jaylen Hernandez, walking in Charlie Evans and putting Winthrop ahead 1-0. On the next play, Harrison Wilson singled to center field, driving in two runs and extending Winthrop’s lead to 3-0.

The Citadel got on the board in the bottom of the inning on Welles Sykes’s RBI single to left field, scoring Thomas Rollauer. In the third, with the Eagles having runners on second and third with two outs and threatening to extend their lead, Anthony Ruocco flew out to end the inning. The Citadel faced the same scenario in their half of the inning, and they flew out to end their chance to cut into Winthrop’s lead.

There was no serious action again until the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded with two outs for Winthrop in the top of the frame, Evans drew a walk to bring in Wilson and restored Winthrop’s lead back to three, 4-1. The Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the lead to one with Sykes tripling down the right field line to score Rollauer and Sykes coming in to score on an Anthony Hausner sac fly to left field. Eagle relief pitcher Parker Kruglewicz then recorded the final four outs to secure the victory for the Garnet and Gold.

On Deck

Winthrop returns to both Rock Hill and Big South play, welcoming USC Upstate this weekend for a huge three-game series with the conference-leading Spartans. Game two of the series will be the National Game of the Week on ESPNU and will start on Sat., Apr. 6 at 6 p.m. The series starts on Friday, Apr. 5 with the first pitch taking place at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.