PREVIEW: Winthrop at Gardner-Webb

SHELBY, N.C. (Interstat) — The Winthrop Eagles visit the Gardner-Webb Runnin Bulldogs on Friday night in a Big South Conference series opener at John Henry Moss Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. under clear skies and 82-degree heat.

Winthrop (27-14) enters on a three-game winning streak but dropped its most recent contest, an 8-10 loss to Elon on Tuesday. The Eagles, who have won five of their last seven, rely heavily on center fielder Josh Skowronski. The senior has been the club’s most consistent bat, going 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs in Tuesday’s loss. Over his last 10 games, Skowronski has collected at least one hit in seven contests and driven in nine runs.

Winthrop’s pitching staff has stabilized after early-season inconsistency. The Eagles took two of three from South Carolina Upstate last weekend, allowing five runs or fewer in each game. The team’s bullpen, featuring Walker Brodt and Garrett Byrd, has been effective in short relief.

Gardner-Webb (18-23) has lost four straight and is coming off an 11-1 defeat to Western Carolina on Tuesday. The Runnin Bulldogs have struggled to generate offense, scoring two runs or fewer in three of their last four games. A bright spot is Anthony Hausner, a two-way player who tossed 4.0 innings of two-hit ball against Western Carolina, allowing one earned run with five strikeouts. At the plate, Hausner went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in an April 17 loss to Radford and has shown gap power.

Gardner-Webb’s pitching staff has been inconsistent. The team allowed 10 or more runs in three of its last seven outings. The Runnin Bulldogs will need a strong start to slow Winthrop’s lineup, which averages nearly six runs per game.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-3 Winthrop victory.

The game marks the beginning of a three-game weekend series. Winthrop plays at Gardner-Webb again Saturday and Sunday before hosting North Carolina A&T on Tuesday. Gardner-Webb hosts Wofford on Tuesday.