ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Gardner-Webb (16-23, 5-8) baseball team opened a crucial three-game series at Winthrop (20-20, 6-7) with a 6-3 defeat on Thursday evening at Founders Field.
Winthrop struck first in the bottom half of the opening frame, scoring a pair of runs following a double to left center by Jaylen Hernandez and squeeze bunt laid down by Nate Chronis.
The Runnin' Bulldogs looked poised to cut into the deficit in the top of the second as hits from Garrett Macias and Tanner Thomas put runners on second and third with one out, but the next two batters were retired in order, leaving GWU off the board.
That missed opportunity proved costly as the Eagles ballooned their lead to 6-0 with four runs in the bottom of the third, the big blow coming off the bat of Josh Skowronski, who blasted a two-run homerun to right field. Chronis added a two-RBI double in the at-bat.
Gardner-Webb was finally able to breakthrough in the visiting half of the fifth, plating two runs on a pair of hits. Matt Ilgenfritz earned a free base to start the frame after being hit by a pitch before moving to second on an infield hit by Lawson Knight.
Both runners moved up 90 feet after a wild pitch. Ryan Kennell drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly while Nick Capozzi singled to left for an RBI hit.
GWU inched closer with a single run in the eighth after Dale Francis Jr.'s team-leading 13th homerun of the season, but that was the last of the scoring for either side as Winthrop eventually took the opening game of the series by the final of 6-3.
The Runnin' Bulldogs and Eagles will continue their three-game set tomorrow evening with a first pitch set for 6 p.m.
