CHARLESTON, S.C. - Connor Walsh and Drew Ellis both homered twice in the opening three innings to back seven innings of shutout pitching from James Reeves, giving The Citadel a 9-1 win over East Tennessee State in the opening game of a Southern Conference series on Friday at Riley Park.

The series continues tomorrow at 2 p.m. with the possibility of a doubleheader depending on the weather forecast for Sunday. Check citadelsports.com or social media sites for schedule updates.

The Citadel improved to 21-26 overall while ETSU dropped to 19-30 in the first game as SoCon rivals since the Buccaneers left the conference following the 2005 season. The teams are both 6-13 in the league.

The Bulldogs jumped on ETSU starter Griffin Krieg in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Walsh to straightaway center and a solo shot over the video board in right center by Ellis.

The duo struck again in the third with Walsh following a Johnathan Stokes single with a long homer to right center, and Ellis went to nearly the same spot for his second solo round tripper to build The Citadel lead to 6-0.

It marked the first time that two Bulldogs homered twice in the same game since Curt Beerman and Rodney Hancock turned the trick against Marshall on March 22, 1997. Ellis increased his team-leading total to eight homers, the most by a Citadel freshman since Richard Jones had 15 in 2007, while Walsh has gone deep six times and has a team-best 47 RBI.

While the Bulldogs were playing long ball, Reeves (7-3) coasted through his seven innings, scattering five hits and striking out 12, two shy of his season high and three short of his career best. The redshirt junior southpaw recorded his fourth double-digit strikeout game of the year and raised his season total to 99.

Reeves fanned two in each of the first three innings and struck out the side in the fourth. He finished his day in the seventh, stranding a runner at second and completing the frame by striking out Kevin Phillips.

The Citadel tacked on a run in the fifth when Walsh walked and scored his third run of the game on a double by Stephen Windham. A two-base hit by Ryan Kilgallen and RBI single by Austin Mapes rounded out the Bulldog offensive output in the seventh.

ETSU avoided the shutout in the eighth against Austin Mason on a double by Trey York, a wild pitch and sacrifice fly by Hagen Owenby. Mason fanned three in his two innings of relief.

Krieg (2-7) allowed six hits and seven runs with four strikeouts in five innings and took the loss for the Bucs.