Citadel pounds 21 hits in 19-6 win over Bucs

Haar belted 27th career HR in loss

CHARLESTON, SC – Despite a 5-1 start in Southern Conference play, The Citadel Bulldogs had managed a modest .260 batting average and only 12 homeruns in their first 19 games of the season. Those numbers took a nice jump in Tuesday’s cross-town battle with Charleston Southern.

The Bulldogs ripped off 21 hits, including nine safeties in an 11-run fifth inning explosion, to defeat the Buccaneers, 19-6, at Buccaneer Field. The Citadel improved to 12-8 overall while the Buccaneers dropped to 10-13 on the season. The Bulldogs belted three homeruns and three doubles in the game.

Junior second baseman Jon Aughey had three hits and three RBI and seldom used shortstop Tripp Cappelmann had four hits and three RBI to pace the Bulldogs to their fifth consecutive victory. First baseman Chip Cannon homered and had a three-run double and sophomore centerfielder Tripp Weathers, hitting only .169 coming into the game, had two hits and three RBI.

Leading 5-1 after four, the Bulldogs put the game away with the explosive fifth inning off of CSU’s second pitcher, Nino Fasulo. Cannon started the barrage with a long homer to right. After Aughey was hit by a pitch, the Bulldogs strung together five consecutive singles and a walk before Cannon hit again, this time lacing a bases loaded double to right center for a 13-1 lead.

Aughey followed Cannon with a towering blast over the left field fence and Mark Egleton followed with a homerun to left center for a 16-1 lead.

Griff Beckham (1-1), the first of five Bulldog pitchers, earned the victory, allowing a run on three hits over four innings. CSU starter Brad Bissell (3-5) absorbed the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits in three innings.

Charleston Southern finished with 12 hits on the day, three by shortstop Billy Dalton. Jordan Haar and Jeff Kolhagen homered for the Buccaneers. Haar’s homer gives him 27 for his career, two shy of tying the CSU career record.

Charleston Southern will be at home again on Wednesday, taking on the College of Charleston at 3 pm.

“We’ve got to put this game behind us and remember it’s just one game,” said CSU head coach Gary Murphy. “They came out swinging today and found some holes and it seemed to be contagious. An 11-run inning is awfully hard to overcome.”