Boxscore

CHARLESTON, S.C. - College of Charleston made a three-run sixth inning stand up in a 4-3 victory over The Citadel on Sunday at Patriots Point, completing a sweep that was decided by a total of only four runs.

The Cougars (4-2) also won 8-7 in 11 innings at home in the series opener on Friday and took a 6-4 decision at Riley Park on Saturday. The Bulldogs (3-4) hurt their cause by stranding 13 runners in Sunday's loss, including the potential tie run at second in the ninth.

Trailing 4-2 heading into the final frame, Austin Mapes doubled and scored on a ground out by Connor Walsh. Johnathan Stokes walked and pinch runner Shy Phillips reached second on a wild pitch with two outs before Hayden McCutcheon retired Stephen Windham on a foul out to the catcher.

Mapes had his first double\ of the game in the third to extend his hitting streak to five games. Philip Watcher also contributed a pair of knocks for the Bulldogs.

The game was tied at one in the sixth when the Cougars took advantage of a close play at first base to open the door to their game-deciding inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Ryan Brown hit a grounder to second and just beat a double play throw to first, allowing Morgan Phillips to score the go-ahead run.

Charleston executed a double steal with Bradley Jones coming across on the back end, and Blake Butler capped the uprising against reliever JP Sears (1-1) with an RBI single that gave the Cougars a 4-1 cushion.

Walsh grounded a triple just inside the bag at first, his second three-base hit in as many days, to lead off the eighth and scored on a ground out by Stokes to pull the Bulldogs within two. Three walks issued by Jake McBreairty later in the inning loaded the bases, but The Citadel failed to cut further into the Charleston lead.

Austin Mason went the first 4.1 innings for the Bulldogs, allowing six hits and one run with four strikeouts. Nick Pappas was the biggest thorn for Mason, doubling three times and driving in the first run in the first. The Bulldogs answered in the second when Ryan Kilgallen singled and scored on a double by Clay Martin and a throwing error on the play.

Nathan Helvey struggled early but settled down after the loading the bases in the third, striking out Bailey Rush to end that threat, the first of 12 consecutive batters her retired. He gave up a two-out single and walk in the seventh, but McBreairty came in to get Drew Ellis to fly out to left, ending another Citadel threat.

Helvey (1-1) tied his career high with eight strikeouts. The save was McCutcheon's second of the season.

The Bulldogs return to action Tuesday with another game against a former Southern Conference rival as they head to Statesboro, Ga., for a 6 p.m. contest against Georgia Southern.