CHARLESTON – Baseball is officially off to their best start in program history, moving to 7-1 for the first time ever. They defeated Manhattan by a final score of 17-10 with the teams combining for 10 home runs in the high-scoring affair under the lights of Nielsen Field @ CSU Ballpark.
The teams went back-and-forth in the contest with there being five lead changes. After three innings, the score was knotted at 3-3 and CSU had a narrow advantage of 9-8 after five.
AJ Martin had a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to give the Bucs a 3-1 lead.
Mason Reising hit a three-run shot in the third that put them ahead at 6-3 and then a
Lucas Pringle three home-run home run of his own put CSU up 9-8 and they did not turn back, not allowing Bellarmine to get back within striking distance.
In the sixth,
Chandler Tuupo had a single to center to score the first and Pringle had a double to score another pair and put the Bucs ahead at 12-8 with the final third of the game remaining. In the 7
th,
Nathan Martinez extended the lead with a three-run homer to left center pushing them ahead 15-8.
Rounding out the game, the Knights were able to cut into the lead with a two-run home run. However,
Blake Edgmon had a two RBI single in the bottom half of the frame to put them up 17-10 with those serving as the final runs to scratch across during the evening.
As a team, the Buccaneer reached base 24 times with 10 of them off hits, 12 off walks and two hit by pitches. Pringle reached four times with two off hits and two off walks and had a career-high five RBIs and scored three times. Martinez and Tuupo were the lone other Bucs to have multiple hits, but two of the nine players to reach base multiple times. Martinez and Reising each added in three RBIs while Tuupo, Martin and Edgmon had two apiece.
Nick Timpanelli served as the starter for the team today and pitched the first 4.2 innings and recorded seven strikeouts.
Tyler Henshaw was the first out of the bullpen to be used and was credited with the win, moving him to 2-0 on the year. He threw 1.2 frames allowing a pair of hits.
Hayden Henry was used for the next 1.2, giving up just a single hit and a walk.
Tait Robertson threw the final inning, allowing just one hit during his time on the mound.
Charleston Southern returns to Nielsen Field tomorrow afternoon for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch against the Knights. The Bucs will look to add to the historic start to the season and clinch the series with a victory tomorrow.
