CHARLESTON, S.C. – Winthrop's Sam Kmiec pitched eight strong innings and Charleston Southern allowed four unearned runs as the Eagles took the series opener at CSU Ballpark on Friday night, 9-2.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Saturday's first pitch has been moved to 11 a.m. at CSU Ballpark (originally scheduled for 4 p.m.).

Kmeic (W, 5-4) held the Bucs to two earned runs, keeping CSU off-balance at the plate. He had 10 strikeouts and scattered nine hits.

CSU (20-20, 9-7 Big South) gave up four unearned runs in the fifth inning. Winthrop capitalized, taking a 5-0 lead. Throwing errors by CSU shortstop Cole Murphy and third baseman Nate Blanchard aided the Eagles' cause. 

CSU starter Andrew Tomasovich (L, 6-4) worked six innings and gave up five runs, but only one earned. He allowed five hits and struck out three. 

The Eagles took advantage of the Bucs' errors in the fifth and added insurance runs in late to distance themselves from the Bucs. They took a 1-0 lead in the second when Mark Lowrie lined a solo home run to left off of Bucs' starter Andrew Tomasovich. 

Winthrop (30-14, 8-8) added two runs in the ninth on a two-run single by Roger Gonzalez. 

Lowrie went 3-for-5 and Anthony Paulsen added a 2-for-4 night with a double and an RBI.

CSU's Brian Dye doubled and scored as the Bucs pushed across two runs in the sixth. Chris Singleton had an RBI single in the inning and scored on a Cole Murphy RBI groundout. 

Kevin Hickey joined Dye and Singleton, each with two hits for CSU. 

-CSU-