Bulldogs' Five-Run Inning Dooms Bucs in 12-5 Loss

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The CSU Buccaneers were able to dig themselves out of an early hole, but gave up five runs in the sixth inning and couldn’t work their way back from the deficit, falling to The Citadel Bulldogs 12-5 on Tuesday in a non-conference match up at Riley Park in Charleston. 

Nick Chinners was 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI for the Bucs (14-12), while Brantley Meier and Jaren Sustar were 2-for-5 and 2-for-4, respectively.  Each had a run as well.  Anthony Markham (3-3) took the loss, giving up seven runs off of 10 hits while striking out three in 5.1 innings. 

For the Bulldogs (10-14), Brad Felder was 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI, while Justin Mackert was 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI.  Legare Jones also had three RBI on the night.   TJ Clarkson (1-2) got the win for The Citadel, pitching 2.1 innings and giving up three runs off of five hits while striking out one batter. 

Felder tripled to centerfield in the bottom of the third, scoring Mackert and Joe Jackson to put the Bulldogs up 2-0.  Jones singled on the next play to drive home Felder, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. 

Sustar singled to start the fourth, and then stole second.  An error by the Bulldogs sent Walt Quattlebaum to second and brought Sustar home, putting CSU on the board at 3-1.  Brandon McKinney then singled to leftfield, driving home Quattlebaum to cut the deficit to one. 

The Bucs held the Bulldogs scoreless in the bottom of the fourth before Tom Burkett singled in the first at-bat at the top of the fifth.  Chinners sent one over the wall to drive home himself and Burkett, giving the Bucs the 4-3 lead. 

The Citadel was able to tie things up in the bottom of the fifth.  With two Bulldogs walked and another hit by a pitch, Felder reached first on a fielder’s choice that allowed Simonelli to score and tie things up at 4-4. 

An inning later, Drew DeKerlegand singled for the Bulldogs to drive Nick Orvin home from second and give the Bulldogs the lead once again at 5-4.   Jackson was walked with the bases loaded to score DeKerlegand before Mackert was hit by a pitch, taking first to score Matt Simonelli and put the Citadel up 7-4.  Felder then singled to left field, driving home William Ladd to push the lead to four.    Another walk with the bases loaded scored Jackson and put the Bulldogs ahead 9-4. 

Smith doubled to right center to score Meier and put the score at 9-5 in the top of the seventh, but the Bulldogs countered in the bottom of the inning with two runs off of a Mackert double to put The Citadel up 11-5.  Soon after, Mackert scored on a single by Jones to push the lead to seven. 

The Bucs will head to Greenville, S.C., on Wednesday for a nonconference match up at Furman.  Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.