March 10, 2004

Box Score

Charleston, SC - Greg Orismarsi connected for two hits and scored three runs, while Derek Martin had two hits and three runs batted in to lead Coastal Carolina past The Citadel 12-3 in non-conference collegiate baseball action Wednesday night in Riley Park.

Coastal Carolina (12-3) jumped ahead 2-0 in the first frame on a Mike Constanzo RBI-groundout and an error on Citadel starting pitcher Chip Cannon that allowed Michael DeJesus to score from third on a failed pick-off attempt at first.

The Citadel (5-7) cut the lead in half, 2-1, in the second as Cannon blasted his fourth homer of the season. Cannon ripped the 2-2 pitch out to left-center giving him 27 career dingers. The Chanticleers pushed their lead back to two runs, 3-1, with one run in the top of the fourth. After a single and a walk, Derek Martin singled up the middle driving in Orismarsi, who reached on a single. Bulldog reliever Griff Beckham got Chad Oxendine to ground into an inning ending double play to keep the Dogs with two.

In the fifth, The Citadel scraped across another run to cut the Coastal lead to 3-2. After leading off the inning with a HBP, Matt Covington scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Josh Stackley, who reached as Matt Matulia was forced at second.

Coastal blew the game open 12-2 with three runs in the sixth and six runs in the seventh. In the sixth, the Chanticleers plated three runs on four hits, a sacrifice fly and a squeeze bunt. An inning later, CCU used three Citadel errors and only three hits to post a six-spot before the seventh inning stretch.

The Bulldogs' attempt at a comeback was futile, even though the Dogs scored one run in the ninth on a RBI-single to center by Josh Stackley. Stackley drove-in Covington from the hot corner after advancing to third on a fielding error by Coastal's DeJesus that allowed Matulia to reach first safely.

Mike Costanzo (2-0) earned his second win of the season on six and two-thirds innings of work. He gave-up two runs on five hits, while striking out seven Bulldogs batters. Cannon (0-1) took the loss for The Citadel after surrendering two runs, one unearned, in two innings pitched.

The Bulldogs will travel to Elon for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 12 at 2:30 pm. Saturday and Sunday's games against the Phoenix will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1340 AM and will also be simulcast on Citadelsports.com, the official website of Citadel Athletics. Coastal will return home to host George Mason in a two-game set in Conway.