GREENSBORO – By the time the North Carolina A&T offense got jumpstarted Tuesday night Winthrop had already jumped out to a nice lead as the Eagles held on for a 12-7 win at War Memorial Stadium.
The Aggies (3-27) dropped their 11th straight despite having three players record multiple-hit games. Senior Brandon Wilkerson led the way by going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Junior Lance Jensen, making his sixth start of the season, went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored including his first career home run. Freshman A.J. Hunt had 2-for-4 night as well.
A six-run third inning by the Eagles (22-12) was complemented by an RBI sacrifice fly by Mark Lowrie in the fourth inning to give Winthrop a 7-0 lead. The Aggies bats warmed up in the fifth, however. Jensen opened the inning with a single to center field. Sophomore Timothy Ravare followed with a one-out single to center. After Ravare was taken out on a force play, which allowed freshman Myles Sowell to reach on a fielder's choice.
Senior Bo McMillan drove in the Aggies first run when he his blooper hit fell perfectly in between the pitcher's mound and the second base bag as Jensen crossed the plate. Wilkerson's RBI single to right scored Sowell. McMillan scored on the same play when an errand throw from right field got away from catcher Roger Gonzalez as Winthrop's lead was cut to 7-3.
The Eagles responded in the sixth as Gonzalez's two-run double made it 9-3. Lowrie and Babe Thomas followed with one RBI single apiece to push the lead to 11-3. Thomas had another RBI single in the eighth to make it 12-3.
But Jensen's homer in the eighth put another run on the board for A&T. The Aggies then opened the ninth with a single from Micah Carmony. Wilkerson brought him home with a triple to cut the lead to 12-5. After pinch-hitter Ryan Jantsch walked, Kyle Clary singled to center to score Wilkerson. Jensen then added to his RBI total with a sac fly to score Jantsch. Winthrop reliever Travis Shelley (RHP) got Hunt to hit into a force play to end the game.
Left-hander Riley Arnone (1-1) picked up the win while freshman lefty Evan Miranda (0-5) took the loss. Lowrie went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Thomas was 3-for-4 with three RBI.
The Aggies are back in action Wednesday when they play High Point at 6 p.m., at WMS.
