CHARLESTON, S.C. – A series of late decisions by
Marshall Haas and
Joe Bexley helped lead The Citadel wrestling team to a 20-15 Southern Conference victory over Gardner-Webb on Wednesday evening at McAlister Field House.
Haas posted a 4-1 decision over Gardner-Webb's Boyce Cornwell in the 197-pound classification to provide the Bulldogs (4-3, 2-0 SoCon) with a slim 17-15 advantage.
Bexley followed with a 9-3 decision over fellow heavyweight Justin Kozera to secure The Citadel's third home dual victory of the season. The loss dropped Gardner-Webb to 3-4 overall and 1-1 in league action.
Joaquin Marquez opened action at 125 with a 6-2 decision over Cortez Starkes, earning his 15th victory of the season.
The Runnin' Bulldogs answered in the 133-pound classification with 2-1 decision by Tyler Zeigler, who narrowly defeated
Aaron Hansen.
The Cadets regained the team lead, 6-3, following a 10-4 decision in the 141 ranks as Tyler Buckiso earned his third dual victory of the season by downing Ryan Hull.
Gardner-Webb's Ryan Mosley posted the first upset of the evening when he posted a 3-2 decision over
Matt Frisch in the 149-pound division. That victory knotted the dual at 6-6 with six matches remaining.
The back-and-forth battle for supremacy continued as
Aaron Walker (157) forged The Citadel in front by four points following a 13-5 major decision over GWU's Kyle Ash.
The Citadel's lead was brief however as Austin Trott (165), who was recently ranked 32nd on wrestlingreport.com, pinned R.J. Hicks at the 1:40 mark of the match. The Runnin' Bulldogs moved back in front by a two-point margin.
A 12-2 major decision by The Citadel's
Kenneth Radford (174) over Christian Marioni again placed the Cadets back in front as a team.
Gardner-Webb posted its final points of the night in the 184-pound match featuring Hunter Gamble and
Jack Duane. Gamble posted a 6-0 decision of the Dogs' redshirt senior.
The Bulldogs head to Boone, N.C., to take on Appalachian State in a SoCon dual on Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. Their next match at home will take place against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at on Jan. 25 at 1 p.m.
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