Leaping Grab Preserves 5-3 Citadel Win Over Bucs

Junior Mark Perry led the CSU offense on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with one RBI against The Citadel.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Down by two with a pair of base runners and two down, the CSU baseball team was threatening to make a comeback in its final at-bats against The Citadel on Tuesday. A diving catch by the Bulldogs’ center fielder Matt Simonelli ended the rally, however, as the Buccaneers fell, 5-3, at Riley Park. Junior Mark Perry led the CSU offense, going 3-for-4 with one run batted in.

Getting his second start of the season, freshman Anthony Markham pitched 6.1 innings for the Buccaneers, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts to fall to 2-3 on the season. Timmy Martin improved to 2-0 after pitching 1.2 scoreless innings in relief for The Citadel (12-6).

CSU (6-12) recorded 15 hits to the Bulldogs eight in the contest, but left 15 runners on base in the loss. Five Buccaneers had multi-hit games, with Perry and redshirt-freshman Nick Chinners getting three each to pace the team. Junior Kory Morian, freshman Tom Burkett and freshman Taylor Black added two hits apiece.

Burkett led off the top of the second inning with his second home run of the season, putting the Buccaneers in front 1-0. Two outs later, after Black reached on a stand-up double, Perry gave CSU a two-run lead with a single to centerfield that scored Black.

With two runners on and one out in the bottom of the third inning, Burkett single-handedly quenched a Citadel rally. Chris Swauger drove a long fly ball to left field, but Burkett was able to track it down and then fired to third to easily put out the Bulldogs’ Sid Fallaw, who was trying to tag up and advance from second, to end the inning.

The Bulldogs’ bats came to life in the bottom of the fourth inning as the home team scored three runs to erase the deficit and take the lead. Sonny Meade led things off with a single to right field and advanced to second when Chris McGuiness recorded a single of his own one out later. That set the table for Bryan Altman, who hit a double to left field that brought Meade around to score.

Matt Arnold kept the Citadel rally going, singling to left center to tie the game as McGuiness crossed home plate. On third after Arnold’s single, Altman scored on a groundout to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead before the Buccaneers could retire the side.

CSU responded in the top of the fifth inning by getting two runners into scoring position with two away as junior Jake Cox stepped into the batter’s box. The rally was halted, however, when a Citadel pitching change brought in Chris Boyce, who recorded the strikeout to end the threat.

Swirling winds helped the Bulldogs extended their lead to two in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Swauger hit a towering shot that was blown into an open area in right field for a double. That put him in position to score when an errant throw by the Buccaneers allowed him to come all the way around, making it 4-2 in favor of the home team.

The Citadel padded its lead in the bottom of the seventh by playing “small ball” with Kyle Jordan, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Simonelli. After a CSU pitching change, Swauger ripped a single through the right side to score Simonelli and give the Bulldogs a 5-2 advantage.

With their backs against the wall, the Buccaneers attempted to mount a rally in the top of the ninth inning. Chinners got things started with a one-out walk, giving way to freshman pinch runner Brantley Meier. Burkett then hit a chopper that died inches from the third base line for an infield single to give CSU two men on. After a strikeout, redshirt-junior Michael Obuchowski stepped in as a pinch hitter for the Bucs and delivered a two-out, RBI single that scored Meier and pulled his team within two.

CSU was in a position to do more damage when Black hit a line drive into center field, but the Bulldogs’ Simonelli made the leaping catch to end the rally to preserve The Citadel victory.

Presbyterian will be in town for a three games at Buccaneer Field this weekend. The series will begin with a 2 p.m. contest on Friday before concluding on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. The team will also be hosting the “Building Buccaneer Baseball” cookout on Saturday, with $5 getting fans a BBQ sandwich, chips and a drink.