March 6, 2015 Box Score
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The Hawks headed to the southernmost Carolina for the first time this season to face the Winthrop Eagles in the first of a three game series. Although UMES was defeated 10-2, the Hawks made an attempt to climb back into the contest, and brought home some positives as a result.
Junior Mike Escanilla (Waldorf, Md.) pulled together a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-3 at the dish. Freshman Travis Carden (Largo, Fla.) drove home his first career run as a collegiate player with an RBI groundout in the eighth, and power hitting senior Greg Turlik (Gaithersburg, Md.) ripped a home run to right field in the ninth.
On the pitching side, two Hawks recorded scoreless outings in relief. Junior J.P. Black (Elkton, Md.) pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up three hits but no runs, and senior Michael Epps (Pottstown, Pa.) induced a double play and delivered a strikeout in the bottom of the eighth.
Winthrop wound up leading wire-to-wire in the two hour, 39 minute affair. After UMES got a runner to third but did not score, the Eagles drove home a pair on back-to-back doubles. A triple in the third inning knocked in a third run.
Hawks sophomore starter Jesse Stinnett (Madison Heights, Va.) appeared to settle down in the fourth with a 1-2-3 inning, but the Eagles got to the UMES ace in the fifth. A two out rally plated two more on a single and a third on an RBI double before Stinnett would be pulled from the game in favor of Black. When the fifth was over Winthrop led 7-0. Another crooked number inning of three runs in the seventh would complete the Eagles' scoring.
Eagle starter Sam Kmiec was especially impressive, pitching a one-hitter and striking out 10 through seven innings. When he was relieved in the eighth, the Hawks were eager to get the offense clicking, and they did just that. A single by junior Connor Breslin (Saylorsburg, Pa.) and an Escanilla double put two runners in scoring position, setting up the Carden RBI groundout. Turlik then led off the ninth with his home run, and freshman Grayson Trower (Chesterfield, Va.) laced a single before a fielder's choice ended the game.
UMES will make another go at it Saturday afternoon as they attempt to even the series. Junior Tanner Whiteman (Cazenovia, N.Y.) will be on the hill for the Hawks in a mid-afternoon matinee with a 3:00 p.m. start time.
