CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team fell short in its search for a weekend sweep of visiting Winthrop on Sunday, as the Eagles used a big sixth inning to take a 6-4 win at the PC Baseball Complex.
PC moves to 12-23-1 on the year and 5-10 in the Big South. The Blue Hose next host Furman on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Winthrop improves to 18-21 overall and 9-6 in League action and will host Western Carolina on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The Blue Hose led 3-1 heading into the sixth inning before five runs from Winthrop in the top of the frame guided the Eagles past PC.
PC pounded out 14 hits on Saturday and Nate Chong (Duluth, Ga.) led the team with a 3-for-4 effort and one RBI. Weston Jackson (Greer, S.C.) also tallied three hits on the day. Trey Hayes (Belton, S.C.) started and threw five innings of four-hit, three-run ball. Ethan Wortkoetter (Greer, S.C.) took the loss after allowed three unearned runs in the top of the sixth to move to 1-2 on the year.
Cody Dolan led Winthrop at the plate by going 3-for-4. Joey Strain picked up the win in relief with 4.1 innings of work and improved to 5-3.
The Blue Hose drew first blood in the second inning as Jackson and Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) led off the frame with a pair of singles. Jackson took third on Paul's hit and came home on a Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) sacrifice fly.
Winthrop evened the game in the top of the third, using a Babe Thomas double to set up a sacrifice bunt and a John Menken RBI groundout to make it a 1-1 game.
The Blue Hose jumped back ahead in the fourth on a Chong RBI bunt single plated Jackson for a 2-1 lead. A Winthrop error in the top of the fifth allowed Glen Casaceli (Jupiter, Fla.) to score thanks to one of his two hits on the day.
Winthrop struck for five runs in the top of the sixth with the help of two PC errors. Zac Goodno and Brad Kaczka each posted an RBI in the frame as Eagles took a 6-3 lead.
PC scored a run in the sixth in an attempt to launch a comeback bid. Chong lifted a double to left field and Derek Long (Alpharetta, Ga.) drove in the senior with a single through the right side.
The home side picked up singles in the final three innings but could not convert as Winthrop held on for the 6-4 win.
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Winthrop............ 001 005 000 - 6 8 3 (18-21, 9-6 BSC)
Presbyterian College 010 111 000 - 4 14 2 (12-23-1, 5-10 BSC)
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Pitchers: Winthrop - STRONG, Josh; STRAIN, Joey(5) and GOODNO, Zac. Presbyterian College - HAYES, Trey; WORTKOETTER, Ethan(6); SANDERS, Paul(6); NALLEY, Bennett(7); TREBENDIS, Michael(9)
and LONG, Derek; McRAE, Cam.
Win-STRAIN, Joey(5-3) Loss-WORTKOETTER, Ethan(1-2) T-2:37 A-128
Weather: sunny, low 80s
HAYES, T. faced 2 batters in the 6th.
