CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Citadel finished off its most explosive offensive weekend of the season with an 18-hit attack in a 15-5 victory over East Tennessee State that gave the Bulldogs a sweep of their Southern Conference series at Riley Park.

The Bulldogs (23-26, 8-13 SoCon) won for the fifth time in their past six games and slammed two more home runs on Sunday, giving them 10 in the series after posting only 25 over the first 46 games of the year. The Citadel scored 36 runs and knocked out 40 hits in the three games against the Buccaneers (19-32, 6-15).

Connor Walsh, Drew Ellis and Bailey Rush each drove in three runs, and Austin Mapes and Johnathan Stokes had three hits to pace The Citadel at the plate. Meanwhile, freshman Thomas Byelick earned the first SoCon win of his career, limiting ETSU to two hits and three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

Walsh had five hits including three home runs in the series, scored seven runs and drove in nine while increasing his team-leading RBI total to 52. Ellis capped a decisive five-run third with a bases loaded triple, and Rush connected for his second home run of the year, a pinch hit drive off the batter's eye in center that was part of a five-run eighth.

ETSU scored an unearned run in the first, and Stephen Windham tied it with a solo homer in the second, clearing the scoreboard in left center for his second round tripper of the year. Mapes put the Bulldogs ahead with an RBI single in the third, and two Buc outfielders lost Ellis' fly ball, allowing it to drop in left center to make it a 5-1 game.

Run scoring singles by Steven Hansen and Stokes put the Bulldogs up 7-1, and Byelick was coasting along with a one-hitter with eight consecutive batters retired until ETSU reached him for two in the sixth to end his day. The Bulldogs answered right away with five straight two-out hits in the bottom of the frame that produced three runs, including a two-run single by Walsh.

The Citadel put the finishing touches on its big offensive day with five more runs in the eighth, highlighted by the Rush home run. 

Byelick and three relievers – Zach Lavery, Austin Mason and Skylar Hunter – limited the Bucs to only five hits and just two of ETSU's five runs were earned.

The Citadel plays its final non-conference game of the regular season when Presbyterian visits Riley Park on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs wrap up SoCon action with a three-game series at Furman which begins on Thursday at 6 p.m.