Greensboro, N.C. -- Freshman Richard Jones knocked in five runs for the second consecutive game while freshman starter Matt Reifsnider tossed a career-high seven innings to help lead The Citadel to a 10-3 win over UNC Greensboro in game two of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium. The Bulldogs snapped their season-long, six-game losing streak and avoided being swept for the second consecutive series with the win.
Jones was responsible for half of the Dogs' 10 runs, driving in five as sophomore right fielder Sonny Meade plated what proved to be the game-winner in the eighth. Jones and Meade, along with senior first baseman Zach Brown paced The Citadel at the plate with two hits each.
UNCG (25-23, 11-10 SoCon) jumped out to a 2-0 lead as the Spartans plated one in the first and third innings. Guy Welsh and Ricky Orton registered back-to-back doubles on two outs for the first run. Corey Overholtzer notched a lead-off triple in the third and came in to score on a wild pitch.
The Bulldogs (25-21, 9-12 SoCon) evened the score in the fourth as junior left fielder Chris Swauger started things off with a base hit to right. Meade drew a walk before Brown poked a single through the left side to load the bases with no outs. All runners moved up courtesy of a wild pitch, putting the Dogs on the board. Jones then lifted a sac fly into left to plate Meade and knot it at two.
The Spartans recaptured the lead in the fifth as Matt Gaski picked up an RBI with a fielder's choice to second. The Spartan advantage did not last long as Swauger answered back with a triple to right and then came in to score on an RBI-groundout off the bat of Meade. Swauger's three-bagger put him at the top of the career triples list along with Philip Hartig and Anthony Jenkins at 14.
The Citadel ignited for four runs in the eighth to take the lead for the first time in the contest as they went up, 7-3. Meade knocked in the go-ahead run with a one-out, base hit to left. Jones earned a walk with the bases loaded to collect his second RBI of the day before junior third baseman Matt Arnold ripped a single to right to plate another one. With the bases still juiced, Conrad Kellahan went down looking for the second out but freshman shortstop Kyle Jordan drew another walk to send in the fourth run of the frame. Senior center fielder Chance Smith, who lead-off the inning with a single, made the third out with a fly ball to left.
Jones stepped up to the plate with two outs in the ninth and blasted a three-run shot over the wall in right center to add three more to the Bulldogs' lead. The freshman extended his streak to five consecutive series with a round-tripper and earned his eighth of the season.
Senior left-hander Jamie Maxwell, who had entered in the eighth, retired three and allowed a walk to the Spartans in their last at bat to make the final, 10-3.
Freshman starter Matt Reifsnider (3-2) picked up the win, his first since April 14. The right-hander tossed a career-high seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out two and walking one. Nick Starnes (4-4), who was credited with the win in game one, suffered the loss as he went 2.1 frames, surrendering four runs on two hits while issuing two bases-loaded walks.
Meade collected five hits over both games of the doubleheader while Brown and Jones each had four. Jones registered three RBI-doubles in game one and came back in game two to crush a three-run bomb as he totaled 10 RBI over both contests.
The Bulldogs will return to action as they have two mid-week match-ups during the week. The Dogs travel to face East Carolina on Tuesday and will then go to Columbia, S.C. to square-off against South Carolina on Wednesday for the second time this season.
