ROCK HILL, S.C. (Interstat) — Winthrop scored 23 runs on 21 hits and routed Longwood 23-5 on Friday at Winthrop Ballpark, avenging a loss to the Lancers one day earlier.

The Eagles improved to 32-22 overall and moved to 19-10 in the Big South. Longwood fell to 29-23 and 14-14.

Shortstop Chazz Grossington led Winthrop’s offensive outburst, going 4 for 6 with five runs batted in. Third baseman Colin Crowley drove in five runs with a 2-for-5 performance that included a grand slam in the first inning. First baseman Alan Benhardt went 3 for 3 with two RBIs. Lefthandler Jaylen Hernandez was 3 for 5 with an RBI. Outfielder Josh Skowronski went 2 for 2 with three RBIs.

Winthrop starter Luke Earnhardt pitched 5⅔ innings, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out eight to earn the victory. Reliever Walker Brodt struck out six over 2⅓ innings, giving up one hit and no runs. Dylan Hansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Longwood relievers Jaxon Lloyd and Jackson Nash each tossed scoreless outings. Lloyd threw three hitless innings with two strikeouts, and Nash struck out five over 2⅓ hitless frames.

The game began with Longwood jumping to an early lead. Keels walked, stole second and third, and scored on a single by Carter. The Lancers added four more runs in the top of the first — including two unearned runs on an error by Grossington and a two-run double by Howard — to take a 5-0 lead.

Winthrop responded immediately. Hernandez singled and scored on a single by Natividad. After a walk loaded the bases, Crowley crushed a grand slam to right field, scoring four runs and tying the game 5-5.

The Eagles then took control with an eight-run second inning. They sent 12 batters to the plate, getting RBIs from Natividad, Benhardt, Skowronski, Crowley and Grossington, who singled up the middle to drive in two runs. Hernandez added an RBI single, and Greenberg scored on a caught-stealing pickoff play, giving Winthrop a 13-5 lead.

Longwood scratched across four unearned runs in the third inning after an error by Grossington, cutting the deficit to 13-9. But Winthrop answered with three runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Skowronski, a bases-loaded walk to McGuire and a double-play groundout by Crowley that scored another run. The Eagles led 16-9 after three innings.

Winthrop tacked on four more runs in the sixth on a walk, a sacrifice fly, and a pinch-hit single by Wilson that made it 20-9. Grossington then delivered the final blow in the eighth inning, a three-run double to left-center that extended the lead to 23-9. Longwood’s final run came in the ninth, but Winthrop closed out the game.

The victory improved Winthrop’s home record and set up a series finale Saturday. Longwood had won the series opener 8-2 on Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Winthrop 5, Longwood 4. Its ELO system gave the Eagles a 67.30 percent probability to win the game.