Winthrop used a solid start from pitcher Ben Thurmond and built an 11- 0 lead in the first three innings to defeat No. 20 Florida 11-7 Tuesday at McKethan Stadium. With the loss, Florida drops to 4-5 overall while Winthrop improves to 6-1.
Winthrop used a solid start from pitcher Ben Thurmond and built an 11-0 lead in the first three innings to defeat No. 20 Florida 11-7 Tuesday at McKethan Stadium. With the loss, Florida drops to 4-5 overall while Winthrop improves to 6-1.
Thurmond (1-1) pitched seven innings, struck out seven Gator batters and allowed only two earned runs.
Eagle batters had three home runs off four Gator pitches. Jason Colson gave Winthrop an early 2-0 lead with a homer to right center field. Colson went 2-5 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored.
Alex Hart (0-1) took the loss for the Gators after pitching only 1 inning, giving up four earned runs. Hart was pitching for the first time in 58 consecutive games since being sidelined with an elbow injury.
Pat Osborn went 2-5 for the Gators with a solo home run and two runs scored. Osborn hit a homerun to right field to lead off the ninth inning. The homer started a comeback attempt for the Gators scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Florida stranded 10 batters on the evening.
Jason Colson led Winthrop with a 3-5, three RBI and home run day. Bennet Stapf went 2-3 with three RBI and a home run and Todd Leathers finished with a home run and 1-3 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Florida and Winthrop will play the second game of the two-game series on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
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