Bucs Soar Past Eagles 6-2

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern (18-28, 9-8) used a late-inning rally for the second straight day en route to a 6-2 victory over Winthrop (13-32, 6-11) on Saturday afternoon at CSU Ballpark.

CSU got a phenomenal start from senior Patrick Dolan who went a career-high 7 1/3 innings. Dolan allowed just two runs (both earned) on nine hits while striking out five in a no-decision.

Denis Buckley (2-0) came on to relieve Dolan, going 1 1/3 innings and allowing three hits while striking out one. He also picked up the win for the Bucs.

Corey Deighan came on to get the final out of the game for the Buccaneers while picking up his sixth save of the season.

Winthrop scored the first run of the ball game in the top of the second, fueled by back-to-back one-out singles by Patrick McLendon and Jason Driver that gave the Eagles runners on first and third with one out. A perfectly executed safety squeeze from Leighton Daniels gave Winthrop a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third Winthrop would extend their lead as Drew Hardee led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a single by Chas Crane into right field. After Dolan struck out T.J. Olesczuk for the first out, Matt Lobacz singled to centerfield, scoring Hardee for a 2-0 Eagle lead.

Winthrop starter Eric Ruth went six strong innings in getting the start for the Eagles. He allowed six hits and no runs while recording eight strikeouts.

Austin Stuart (3-2) would relieve Ruth to start the bottom of the seventh inning, surrendering back-to-back singles from Robbie Streett and Walt Quattlebaum. Blake Hunt then moved both runners up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt before Drew Woodall singled thru the right side, scoring Streett and Quattlebaum to tie the game 2-2.

John Faircloth began the bottom of the eighth for CSU with a single into left center but was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice from Alex Tomasovich. Following a Chase Shelton single to right field to put runners on the corners, Quattlebaum then got a single to fall in shallow left field that scored Tomasovich and gave the Bucs the lead for good at 3-2. Hunt then put the exclamation point on the game for the Bucs with a towering three-run homerun just inside the left field foul pole.

Faircloth led the Buccaneer attack with a 3-for-4 performance. Hunt, Quattlebaum, Streett and Woodall each had two hits for the Bucs on the afternoon.

The same two teams will play the series finale tomorrow afternoon at CSU Ballpark. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.