Mar. 30, 2003

Charleston, SC - Brook Dantzler scored the game-winning run to lead The Citadel in a come from behind victory over the College of Charleston, 9-8, in Southern Conference baseball action Sunday afternoon in Riley Park.

The Citadel's (17-10, 10-2 SoCon) Chris Ard lengthened his hit streak to 22 consecutive with a homer to left field in the second inning. Trent Weathers followed with a single to center and later scored on Josh Stackey's double. Jason Randall stuck out to end the inning, but not before Stackley scored on Jon Aughey's sacrifice fly and Matt Matulia added a run to the scoreboard on Phillips' single to make the score 4-0.

The College of Charleston's (17-11, 5-4 SoCon) right fielder Brett Anderson started the third inning with a home run to left. Lee Curtis' left field double brought Jay McCown and Brett Gardner in to score, while Matt Hallett came in on Adam Tolman's sacrifice fly to tie the score at four.

Chip Cannon was driven-in on the left field single by Brook Danztler, which allowed the Bulldogs to take the lead in the third inning, 5-4. CofC pitcher Matt Soale came on in relief of Cougar starter Brett Harker to end the Bulldog rally.

In the fifth Tolman brought home Hallet to tie the ballgame at five after Hallet reached on a hit by pitch. Citadel relief pitcher Andy Phillips got Matt Lauderdale to fly out to squelch the Cougar scoring.

After being hit in the nose with a pitch Weathers was plated on Matulia's line drive base hit to right in the bottom half of the fifth pushing the Bulldogs back into the lead, 6-5. After Andy Phillips bunt single in the sixth, he moved into scoring position on Randall's groundout. Phillips later scored on Cannon's double to left making The Citadel lead 7-5.

Hallett led off the ninth with a three-run homer to put the Cougars on top 8-7. The two runners plated on the Hallett homer were Victor Martinez and Gardner.

The Dogs responded in the bottom of the ninth when Matt Covington, who reached on a walk, and Brook Dantzler, who doubled after a 10-pitch at-bat, scored on a ball that Matulia got to bounce over the second baseman's head to win the game.

Shannon Sprouse (3-1) pitched the final three innings to earn the victory despite giving up the go-ahead homer in the top of the ninth, while Tee Morris (3-4) gave up the two runs in the ninth to take the loss for the Cougars.

The Bulldogs will travel to Greensboro April 1-2 for a two game series against the Aggies of North Carolina A&T. Game one will begin Tuesday at 7:00pm followed by a 1:00 start on Wednesday.