Box Score (PDF) | Overall Stats (PDF) | Bracket

GREENVILLE, S.C. – With two outs in the 10th inning and a runner on first base, Bret Hines laced a triple to center field and advanced The Citadel baseball team to the next round of the Southern Conference Tournament with a 3-2 win over VMI.
 
The Bulldogs (17-40) trailed for most of the game but tied the ball game up at 2-2 in the ninth inning. With VMI (21-35) leading 2-1, Steven Hansen drew a leadoff walk to start the ninth and then advanced to second and third on a pair of wild pitches. That brought pinch hitter Jacob Watcher to the plate who executed the squeeze play perfectly allowing Hansen to score the tying run easily from third.
 
In the top of the 10th, Kyle Smith recorded his fourth and fifth strikeouts of the game and retired the VMI side in order allowing the Bulldogs to earn the walk-off win in the bottom of the frame as Mike Deese came around to score on the triple by Hines.
 
For the fourth consecutive game, the Bulldogs hopped out to a quick lead thanks to a long home run by Stephen Windham in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Lefty JP Sears kept VMI's offense in check through the first two hitless innings, fanning four and allowing just two base runners before giving up a two-run home run in the top of the third to give VMI a 2-1 lead.
 
Sears fanned 10 in 7.0 innings of work and finished the season with 29 strikeouts against the Keydets. The sophomore has had three outings with at least seven innings pitched, two of which came against VMI, and now has three double-digit strikeout games in 2016. Dating back to 1965, Sears is one of four pitchers in school history to throw two double-digit strikeout games against the same team in one season.
 
Smith pitched 3.0 innings of one-hit ball against the Keydets, striking out five. In four games with VMI this year, The Citadel pitching staff has registered 53 strikeouts.
 
Deese had three hits in the game and scored the winning run, while Windham had two hits including his fourth home run this season. The Bulldogs had 10 hits total in the game.
 
The Bulldogs return to Fluor Field Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. for a match up with top-seeded Mercer. The Bulldogs defeated Mercer 9-8 on May 8 in the last meeting between the two. Live stats, video and audio will be available at CitadelSports.com.
 
Scoring Summary
Bottom 1st – The Citadel 1, VMI 0: Stephen Windham hit a solo home run over the left center field wall with two outs
Top 3rd – VMI 2, The Citadel 1: Jacob Jaye scored from 1st on a home run over the left field wall by Nathan Eaton with one out
Bottom 9th – The Citadel 2, VMI 2: Steven Hansen scored from 3rd on a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher by Jacob Watcher for the second out
Bottom 10th – The Citadel 3, VMI 2: Mike Deese scored from 1st on a triple to center field by Bret Hines with two outs
 
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