Feb. 21, 2004

Box Score

Charleston, SC - Matt Matulia drove-in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a hit-by-pitch to lead The Citadel to a come-from-behind victory, 5-4, over West Virginia in the fourth game of the Homewood Suites Shootout Saturday afternoon in Riley Park.

The Citadel (2-1) jumped ahead 3-0 after two innings as the Bulldogs plated two runs in the first and a third run in the second. In the first, leftfielder Blaine Richardson singled up the middle driving home Jon Aughey and Chris Ard to give the Dogs an early 2-0 advantage. Later in the second frame, centerfielder Trent Weathers walked and preceded to steal second and third, putting him in position to score on a Mountaineer passed ball. Weathers run put The Citadel ahead 3-0. West Virginia (1-1) tied the scored at 3-3 in the top of the third with a three-run homer by Mountaineer rightfielder Stan Posluszny. Posluszny's blast over the right field wall plated Grant Psomas and Jake Serfass.

In the fifth, the Mountaineers broke the 3-3 tie as Psomas drove-in Serfass with a single through the left side of the infield to give WVU the lead 4-3. Serfass, who scored from third, led off the inning with a double down the right field line and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lee Fritz.

The WVU pitching duo of Ryan Lipscomb and Justin Asbury held the Bulldogs to three runs until the ninth when Matt Covington, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth, laid down a bunt on a suicide squeeze play that allowed Josh Stackley to scamper home from third. The suicide squeeze tied the score at 4-4.

Later in the ninth with the bases loaded, Matulia was plunked by Mountaineer reliever Todd Dunham allowing Chip Cannon to walk home from third for the game winning run. Cannon, who reached on an intentional walk, advanced to second on Covington's bunt and then moved to third on a pinch-hit walk by Mark Egleton.

Freshman Zach Brown (1-0) earned the win in his first career appearance as he pitched 4.1 innings in relief. Brown came on in relief of Bulldog starter Ken Egleton with one out in the fifth. Brown, who struck out Travis D'Amico with runners on second and third to end the WVU rally, did not allow a run and surrendered only two hits to get the win. Egleton, who got the start, gave up four runs on five hits in 4.2 innings of work.

Mountaineer reliever Asbury (0-1) took the loss for West Virginia on 3.1 innings of work. He was lifted in the ninth after walking Chip Cannon and giving up Covington's suicide squeeze.

The Citadel will match-up against Old Dominion in the sixth and final game of the Homewood Suites Shootout at 3 pm tomorrow, Sunday, February 22, but not before West Virginia meets Richmond at 11 am to start the final day of the shootout.