Bucs Drop Mid-Week Contest to Furman

CHARLESTON, S.C. – A ninth-inning rally ended on a disputed call, quenching a CSU baseball comeback abruptly in a 4-2 loss to Furman on Wednesday. With two outs and runners on first and second, junior Cory Trudell struck out swinging on what head coach Jason Murray thought was a foul-tip to end the game.

Redshirt freshman Nick Chinners and freshman Steve Antolik led CSU with two hits each. With a single in the fifth inning, junior Jake Cox recorded the Buccaneers’ lone RBI of the contest.

Freshman Tyler Thornburg had a strong pitching debut for the Buccaneers, allowing one run on five hits with five strikeouts in six innings. His performance left CSU (1-3) with a 2-1 lead heading into the seventh inning.

Furman (1-1) took advantage of the pitching change, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead. Bobby Hubbard led off the inning by reaching first on a pop fly that was mishandled by the Buccaneers. Making the most of the opportunity, Ryan Lee hit a line drive home run over the right field wall to turn a one-run deficit into a Paladins lead. Furman added to its lead when a sacrifice fly by Campbell Lewis brought Cameron Allmendinger home from third.

CSU took the lead after scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Antolik led off the inning with a double to right center and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Trudell. Junior third baseman Mark Perry gave the Buccaneers runners on the corners with a walk, brining Jake Cox to the plate. His single brought Antolik home and moved Perry to second base, tying the game at 1-1. Perry later scored on a throwing error, giving CSU a 2-1 lead after five innings.

The Paladins got on the board first, scoring in the top half of the fifth inning. Furman leadoff hitter Joey Rodgers started the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, a single by John Paterson scored Rodgers and gave the Paladins the early lead.

CSU will play a three-game series against Stony Brook this weekend, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The series will wrap up at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Collins Park.