May 17, 2003

Charleston, SC - The Citadel and VMI split a double-header with the Bulldogs taking game one 10-0 and the Keydets taking game two 7-6 in 11 innings in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon in Riley Park.

In game one, The Citadel (31-23, 18-11 SoCon) opened the scoring with one run in the second on a RBI groundout by Josh Stackley. Chris Ard, who singled and advanced to second on a throwing error, stole third and scored on Stackley's 4-3 groundout. In the third the Bulldogs extended their lead to 3-0. With Chris Altman on second after singling and advancing on a Jon Aughey walk, Matt Matulia drove-in Altman on a single to left. Aughey, who advanced to third on Matulia's base hit, then scored on a RBI-single by Brook Dantzler.

The Bulldogs blew the game open in the fourth as they plated six runs on four hits and a VMI error. The Dogs scored runs on a bases loaded error, a two-run double, two RBI singles and a run-scoring groundout. The Citadel sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth. The Cadets tacked on a run in the sixth on Chip Cannon's 11th homer of the season. The solo homer put the Bulldogs up 10-0 and following a scoreless seventh, the game was called.

In the second game, VMI (22-15, 15-14 SoCon) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead as the Keydets plated one in the first on a RBI double down the left field line by Allan Wimmer and scored three in the second on five hits and a Bulldog error.

Down 4-0 in the fourth, The Citadel cut the lead in half, 4-2, on Cannon's 12th homerun of the season as he blasted a two-run homer to left. Matulia, who walked to lead off the fourth inning, scored on Cannon's 23rd career homer.

The Keydets pushed the lead back to four, 6-2, as the scored a run in the sixth and one in the seventh. Elliot Erbe scored on a fielding error by Ard, the Bulldog third baseman, in the sixth. In the seventh, Erbe singled in Wimmer, who reached on a base hit and then stole second to move into scoring position.

In the eighth, The Citadel cut the lead to 6-3 as Cannon plated Matulia on a single to right. After reaching base and advancing to second on a Keydet error, Matulia advanced to third on a Dantzler groundout before scoring on the Cannon RBI-single. The Bulldogs tied the score 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth, on an Altman three-run homer to right. Keydet reliever J.J. Hollenbeck got the final two batters to pop-up and groundout to squelch the Bulldog rally and end the inning with a runner on third.

VMI won the game in the 11th inning as they plated a run on a Wimmer RBI-single and kept the Bulldogs from scoring in the bottom half of the 11th frame.

Cannon (3-3) earned the win for the Bulldogs in game one on four innings of work, while Jimmy Thoms (3-5) took the loss for the Keydets as he surrendered eight runs on six hits. In the second game, VMI's Hollenbeck (1-3) got the win with 2.2 innings of relief work. The Citadel's Shannon Sprouse (5-3) took the loss as he gave up the game-winning run in the eleventh.

Matulia was 4-for-8 and Altman was 4-for-9 on the day, while both had three runs batted in. Cannon led the Bulldogs with five RBIs and two homeruns.

The Bulldogs and Keydets will meet Sunday, May 18, at 1:00 pm in Riley Park for the rubber game of the series and the regular season's final game.