CHARLESTON, SC -- The Winthrop baseball team got the offense going posting 14 hits as it defeated The Citadel 11-6 on Wednesday evening at Riley Park in Charleston, SC.
With Wednesday’s result, Winthrop’s record is now 9-15, while The Citadel moves down to 14-9 on the year.
Freshman right-hander Wade Newman, making his second rehab start of the season, got his first collegiate win as he worked 2.1 innings giving up no runs on one hit, two walks and three strikeouts. Eight other pitchers took the hill for Winthrop on Wednesday. “Wade is going to be something special for us. I was excited to see him pitch the way he is capable of pitching,” said Winthrop head coach Joe Hudak.
Sophomore shortstop Kevin Nolan had a great day at the plate as he got four hits on six trips providing two RBI. Despite not picking up a hit, junior third baseman Bryn Henderson had a productive day offensively as well as he drove in three runs for Winthrop.
“We played a good ballgame against a good club,” said Hudak. “We swung the bats real well and I though all and all, our pitching staff threw very well.
Left-hander Chris McGuiness got the loss as took the hill for the Bulldogs and allowed six runs on seven hits, no walks and one strikeout in 2.0 innings pitched. Four other pitchers threw for The Citadel in the game.
Matt Reifsnider, who pitched against Winthrop one year ago, was the highlight of the Bulldog offense on Wednesday as he recorded three hits, including a home run, with two runs batted in.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Freshman outfielder Bennett Jordan beat Bulldog shortstop Kyle Jordan’s throw for a one-out infield single. Jordan then stole his first collegiate base and advanced to third behind a line-drive single by junior second baseman Aaron Bonomi. A wild pitch uncorked by McGuiness allowed Jordan to score as Bonomi took second base. The Eagles had runners on the corners after Bulldog third baseman Matt Arnold air mailed a throw to first allowing freshman outfielder Bryan Bogue to reach safely and a deep fly ball to right field by Henderson was enough to score Bonomi from third.
Winthrop stretched the lead to 6-0 in the third inning. Nolan led off with a double to left field and scored and a hard-hit single by Rohan. McGuiness wasn’t able to get Rohan out after senior catcher Billy Froehlich bunted and senior outfielder Louis Ullrich got hit by a pitch as the bases got loaded with nobody out. Jordan followed with a line-drive single to score Rohan still leaving the bases juiced. After right-handed reliever Chris Boyce struck Aaron Bonomi out, freshman outfielder Tony Brunetti was given a walk as Froehlich scored. A groundout fielder’s choice by Henderson scored Ullrich for Winthrop’s last run of the inning.
The Bulldogs got three runs back in the fourth inning as McGuiness, who was also The Citadel’s designated hitter, led off with a single, moved to second on a wild by freshman left-handed reliever Cam Walters Walters and scored on a triple by Matt Arnold, who scored on the Reifsnider home run.
The Eagles got a big five-run fifth inning to make it an 11-3 ballgame. Ullrich led things off with a single and advanced to second as Jordan bunted reaching on a fielder’s choice. A beautifully executed sacrifice bunt by Bonomi advanced both runners a base and a single by Brunetti scored Ullrich from third. Jordan scored moments later as Henderson hit a ground ball to Citadel’s Jordan at short, who couldn’t get it off the ground as Brunetti advanced to second. Junior first baseman Eddie Tisdale hit a deep double to right field to score Brunetti moving Henderson to third and Nolan hit a gapper double to score both runners.
The Citadel cut Winthrop’s lead to 11-5 with two runs scored in the sixth inning. After junior righty Owen Reid relieved sophomore left-hander Dane Yoder with one out and Reifsnider, who had singled, on, a wild pitch allowed the Bulldog runner to reach second and a walk put Trey Thomas on. Another wild pitch advanced both runners one base and a walk issued to Chris Swager left the bases juiced for Bryan Altman, who got a two-RBI single.
The Citadel put the final 11-6 numbers to the board in the ninth. Swager, facing freshman righty Mike Ritson, led off with a double and moved over to third behind a single by Altman. After Henderson couldn’t stop a hot shot by Sonny Meade, the bases were loaded with no men out for McGuiness, who lined out to score Swager on a sacrifice fly.
The Eagles will now focus on conference play as they play three games at VMI. The first contest is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.
