SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — Winthrop erupted for 17 hits and survived a late rally to outslug Sacramento State 14-12 at John Smith Field on Friday. The Eagles built a commanding early lead, scoring seven runs in the first two innings, highlighted by a leadoff homer from Gabe Natividad. Luke Earnhardt earned the win with five strong innings for Winthrop, allowing two unearned runs. The Hornets chipped away, scoring three in the fifth and four in the seventh, aided by three Eagles errors. Winthrop then broke open a 7-7 tie with a six-run eighth, keyed by Josh Skowronski’s two-run single. Sacramento State’s Jakob Poturnak launched a ninth-inning grand slam, but the Hornets’ comeback fell short. Winthrop improved to 16-7, while Sacramento State dropped to 9-14. The teams meet again Saturday.