Thank goodness.

Winthrop salvaged a 5-3 win Saturday over Radford to partially wipe away the sting of two straight losses and achieve a good ending to what was a sour afternoon. The Eagles lost 8-4 in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader, a game marred by awful defense and the ejections of head coach Joe Hudak and pitching coach Kyle DiEduardo, but rallied to win Game 2 with a gutsy pitching performance from Hamilton Bennett and a two-run tiebreaking eighth inning.

"We didn't play well in the first two games and we gave them three runs in the first game (today)," Hudak said. "I'm pleased with how we came back."

With the win, the Eagles (22-29, 9-9 Big South Conference) took a half-game lead over High Point for fourth place. Trying to hold on to a top-four spot for the BSC tournament in two weeks, Winthrop will be pulling for Coastal Carolina to beat the Panthers again today, thus making the lead a full game.

A small step, sure, but considering the way the weekend began, it could be the one that makes the difference at the end of the regular season.

"We've just got to come out and play," Bennett said after getting a no-decision with 7 2-3 innings of five-hit, seven-strikeout ball. "We're having to keep an eye on those other guys."

Game 1 began with Radford (21-28, 6-12) posting its third three-run inning of the series before Adam Hoyt (5-4) ever stepped on the mound. Hudak called the Eagles out of the dugout for a gut-check conference, but the game was quickly out of hand two innings later.

Up 6-1 in the fifth, plate umpire Glen Barham warned the Winthrop dugout for complaining about balls and strikes. It didn't take long before Barham heard something he didn't want to hear, and following the rulebook, tossed Hudak.

"I didn't say anything to get ejected," Hudak said. "All I said was, 'Come on.' I told him to throw out the guy who said it, but the rule says that after you get a bench warning, the coach gets tossed."

Hudak made it count by blessing Barham out from one corner of the ballpark to the other but still had to leave. It was only a couple of pitches later when, reacting to a rather low pitch that was ruled a strike, DiEduardo was on his way to join Hudak.

Winthrop finished the loss and again gathered for a session with Hudak. Following Senior Day recognition for Billy Froehlich, Josh McDonald, Ryan Schwartz, Louis Ullrich, Billy Tinsley and Ryan Mullins, the skipper lit a fire under his team.

The Eagles responded by Bennett giving up his first run in the second but getting the deficit negated with Eddie Rohan's 10th homer in the frame's bottom half. Bennett Jordan drove in Froehlich for a 2-1 lead and the Eagles let Bennett handle the rest.

The freshman was spotless through the seventh but gave up a leadoff homer to Nick Minter in the eighth. Still leading 3-2, Bennett stayed in as closer Josh McDonald headed to the bullpen.

"I only had two hits before that and I wanted to finish," Bennett said. "But as long as we win, it's fine."

Not a great series, but a great way to complete it. Hudak will seek a firmer grasp on fourth place next week at UNC Asheville and keep looking for his 800th win, which is only one away.

"We knew we dug ourselves a hole," Hudak said. "This was such an important win."