ROCK HILL, S.C. — Jake Mastillo slugged his first LIU homer, with one aboard in the ninth, to pull the LIU baseball team within a pair of runs against Winthrop.

However, the Eagles held on for a 9-7 win on Day 2 of the season-opening series at The Winthrop Ballpark.

Winthrop chased LIU starter Ryun Cross in the second inning of his LIU debut and built a 6-0 lead an inning later. Yet the Sharks clawed back. They scored three in the eighth, capped by Christopher Hund's RBI single. They then got a two-run homer in the ninth from Mastillo, a transfer from Division II Lock Haven.

Mastillo went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Cleanup hitter Carlton Harper contributed his second straight three-hit day to open the season.

Tatsuya Uemoto logged three relief innings in his LIU debut, surrendering just an unearned run. Fellow JUCO transfer PJ Moritz retired the only batter he faced in his Sharks debut.

The teams complete the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m., with right-hander Ty McInnes set to debut for the Sharks as the starting pitcher.