CHARLESTON, S.C. - With winds gusting close to 40 miles per hour, the CSU Buccaneers and the VMI Keydets combined for 33 hits and 27 runs. However, the Bucs came out on the wrong end of the 15-12 score, dropping their second game in as many days to the Keydets on Saturday afternoon at CSU Ballpark.

It marks just the second time this season and the first time in a month the Bucs (20-19, 7-7) have dropped back-to-back Big South Conference games. They were previously swept by BSC foe Liberty on March 18-20. The two teams will meet for the third and final time on Sunday in a 2 p.m. contest at CSU Ballpark.

Tom Burkett had a strong outing as the leadoff hitter, going 4-for-5 with a run. Walt Quattlebaum was 3-for-3 with four runs and two RBI, including a home run. Mat Still had CSU's other home run of the day, and finished 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Six different Buccaneers each had two RBI. The Bucs had a total of 17 hits.

Patrick Dolan struck out seven and gave up six runs off of six hits in 4.2 innings. Reliever Charlie McCready gave up his first earned runs in over a month, giving up eight total runs of which five were earned. He took his first loss of the season, and was replaced by Ali Williams. Williams gave up two runs, one earned, in 2.0 innings. The CSU pitchers surrendered a total of 16 runs on the day.

Graham Sullivan and Sam Roberts led the Keydets, with Sullivan driving in four runs and Roberts crossing the plate four times himself. Sullivan was 3-for-5 with two runs, while Roberts later took the mound and picked up the save after going 3-for-4 on the day. George Piccirilli was 3-for-5 as well and also added in a run and two RBI.

John Garrett picked up the win for the Keydets, giving up just one earned run in 1.1 innings. Alan Watts gave up one run on three hits while striking out four. Roberts gave up two hits and struck out one batter to get the save.

Sam Roberts homered to kick things off in the first at bat of the game to put the Keydets up 1-0 early on. Roberts added another run to the tally a few innings later, scoring when Sullivan singled to center field to make it 2-0. Sullivan then stole second before Piccirilli also singled to center to score Sullivan and put VMI ahead 3-0 in the top of the third inning.

Drew Woodall and Burkett had back-to-back singles in the bottom of the third before Tomasovich stepped up to bunt, making it to first and advancing to second on an error by VMI. Woodall scored on the play to put the Bucs on the board down 3-1. Nick Chinners singled to center field on the next play to drive home Burkett and Alex Tomasovich and tie things up at 3-3.

Jaren Sustar layed down a bunt that was misplayed by the Keydets, putting him at third and driving Chinners and Derek Smith home to put the Bucs up 5-3. Quattlebaum singled up the middle, scoring Sustar and keeping the Bucs ahead 6-3. Brantley Meier doubled down the right field line, allowing Still and Quattlebaum to cross home plate to make it 8-3.

Jacob Morley walked to start the top of the fourth. In the next at bat, Rob Dickinson hit a two-run homer to cut the VMI deficit to just three with the score at 8-5. However, Dolan was able to hold the Keydets scoreless for the rest of the inning to keep the Bucs in front.

VMI's Roberts took a base after being hit by a pitch in the first at-bat of the third. A great play in right field by Still kept a hit from Sullivan inside the park and limited him to just a double. However, Roberts was able to cross home plate on the play to put the score at 8-6 still in favor of the Bucs.

CSU added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Quattlebaum reached second on a ground-rule double, making to third when Still singled to the shortstop. Burkett and Tomasovich were both walked, putting Quattlebaum home to make it 9-6.

However, the Keydets had a flurry of runs in the sixth inning to make their comeback. Roberts crossed home plate on a single by Sullivan to make it 9-7. Piccirilli singled in the next at bat to score Sullivan before Alex Haitsuka homered, scoring both himself and Piccirilli to make it 11-9 in favor of the Keydets.

Quattlebaum hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, but the Bucs couldn't catch up and remained down by one at 11-10.

Dickinson and Chase Worthington both singled for VMI in the top of seventh, and both would score soon after on a CSU error to pad the Keydets' lead at 13-10. Morley and Dicksinon each picked up another run in the top of the eighth inning, with Morley scoring on a single by Montague and Dickinson scoring on a sac fly by Worthington to keep VMU up 15-10.

Quattlebaum walked to get on base in the bottom of the eighth inning. Still then homered in the next at bat, scoring himself Quattlebaum to cut the deficit to just three runs at 15-12. However, the Bucs were held scoreless in the bottom of the ninth and took the 15-12 loss.