Winthrop takes opener of conference series, 6-5

Maiden had a RBI single in seventh

CHARLESTON, SC - Winthrop second baseman Chris Carrara went four-for-five with a homerun and Kevin Slowey pitched eight solid innings as the Eagles defeated Charleston Southern, 6-5, at Buccaneer Field on Friday.

Winthrop improves to 20-14 overall and 8-2 in Big South Conference play while the Buccaneers fall to 17-21 overall, 4-6 in league play. The two teams play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 12:30 pm.

Winthrop belted three homeruns and tallied six runs off CSU starter R.J. Swindle (5-4), hitting two long balls in a decisive three-run fifth. Carrara and third baseman David Scoggin went deep in the fifth, with first baseman Bennett Stapf hitting a solo homerun in the second. Staph and Scoggin each had two hits and two RBI for the Eagles.

Slowey (5-3) allowed just one baserunner through six innings and carried a no-hitter into the seventh before CSU tallied three hits and scored two runs. CSU added three runs in the eighth, aided by an error, to cut the margin to 6-5 before Jon Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first save. The Buccaneers finished with six hits in the game.