ROCK HILL, S.C. (Interstat) — North Carolina A&T snapped a six-game losing streak Tuesday night, using a four-run second inning and dominant relief pitching to defeat Winthrop 9-3 at Winthrop Ballpark.

The Aggies improved to 12-31 overall, while the Eagles fell to 28-17. North Carolina A&T outhit Winthrop 14-9 and executed three sacrifice bunts, manufacturing runs against a Winthrop staff that entered with a strong record.

The decisive sequence came in the top of the second inning with the game scoreless. Bradshaw tripled to right-center and Edwards walked. After Edwards stole second, Gomez reached on a fielding error by third baseman Crowley, allowing Bradshaw and Edwards to score. Harper singled, and Acevedo reached on another error by Crowley, scoring Gomez. DiCarlo’s sacrifice bunt moved two runners into scoring position, but the Aggies did not add more that inning, leaving the bases loaded. The two unearned runs proved critical, giving North Carolina A&T a 4-0 lead.

The Aggies extended the lead in the third. Bradshaw singled, Edwards doubled, and Gomez singled in Bradshaw. Harper’s sacrifice bunt plated Edwards, making it 6-0.

Winthrop got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. After a wild pitch and a walk, Johnson relieved starter Fields with one out. Bowling struck out, but Natividad singled to left, driving in two runs and cutting the deficit to 6-2.

North Carolina A&T answered in the fifth. Tinsley singled, stole second? No, but Gomez doubled him home. Acevedo doubled in Gomez, though Harper was thrown out at home, leaving the score 8-2.

The Aggies added another run in the eighth on a wild pitch that scored DiCarlo. Winthrop scored once in the ninth on a Rivera RBI single, but left the bases loaded as Natividad grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

Pitching was the story for North Carolina A&T. Starter Fields worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing no hits but two earned runs with five strikeouts. Johnson threw 1 1/3 hitless innings with one strikeout. Barrett pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts. Cushing allowed one earned run over two innings with one strikeout. Van Meter recorded one out. The quartet combined to hold Winthrop to nine hits and three walks after the fourth inning.

Offensively, Gomez went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including a double. Bradshaw tripled and singled, scoring twice. Edwards doubled and walked. Tinsley doubled and singled. Acevedo doubled and singled, driving in a run.

For Winthrop, McNeely threw two innings of two-hit relief with three strikeouts. Skowronski doubled. Natividad drove in two runs. Grossington doubled. Rivera singled in a run.

The game was the only meeting between the two programs this season. North Carolina A&T now travels to Campbell for a three-game series May 1-3. Winthrop begins a three-game series at UNC Asheville the same weekend.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Winthrop 5, North Carolina A&T 2, and its ELO system gave Winthrop a 72.20 percent probability of winning.