ROCK HILL, S.C.. – The 15th-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (42-11, 15-4 Big South) had only three hits on the night and gave up four runs in the second inning in a 6-2 loss to Winthrop (30-24, 15-4 Big South) May 18 in Rock Hill, S.C. Coastal and Winthrop are now tied for lead in the Big South Conference.

Eddie Tisdale doubled with one out in the second and moved to third on a check-swing single by Bryn Henderson. John Murrian then safety squeezed, which was picked up by sophomore pitcher Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill). The ball slipped out of his hand on the transfer, allowing Tisdale to score. Chris Carrara then hit a three-run home run to left field, giving Winthrop a 4-0 lead.

The score stayed the same until the bottom of the seventh. Henderson led off the inning with a single. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Murrian. Carrara moved him over to third with a single and senior Travis Risser (Palmyra, Pa./James Madison) loaded the bases by walking Phil Carey. Tommy Lentz brought in a run with a single to left and Carrara scored on a single to right from Billy Froehlich, making it 6-0 Winthrop.

Senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) led off the eighth inning with a triple in the left field gap. Winthrop’s Josh McDonald retired the next two batters, but junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) belted a two-run home run to right field to cut the deficit to 6-2.

Gagg was charged with the loss, despite retiring 11 men in a row from the second thru fifth innings. He gave up five hits and four runs and struck out four. Wilson gave up only the Baldridge single and struck out eight in six innings to improve to 5-4 on the year. McDonald earned his first save by giving up two runs and striking out four in three innings.

Baldridge went 2-for-4 with two runs driven in. He also extended his hitting streak to nine games. For Winthrop, Carrara, Froehlich and Henderson had two hits apiece, while Carrara drove in three runs.

Coastal and Winthrop will continue the three-game series Saturday, May 19 at 2 p.m. Senior Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) will start on the mound for Coastal, while Winthrop will counter with Jason Franzblau.