CHARLESTON, SC. – The Citadel right hander Jordan Merritt struck out a career-high nine, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs fell, 3-1, to Delaware State in the 2019 season opener Friday evening.
 
Game Information
Score: Delaware State 3, The Citadel 1
Records: Delaware State (1-0), The Citadel (0-1)
Series: DSU leads 1-0
Location: Charleston, South Carolina (Joe Riley Park)
 
Key Plays

• A Bulldog throwing error on a fielder's choice in the seventh put a pair of runners on with no outs.
• A pair of soft singles with two outs scored two runs before a dropped popup allowed a third run to score.

 
How it Happened

• The game belonged to the pitchers from start to finish.
• Merritt started the game with a strikeout before running into a little trouble. He was able to get out of the inning without any damage with a 6-4-3 double play.
• He would come back to get a strikeout in the second through fifth innings before getting a pair of strikeouts in the sixth.
• The Bulldogs ran into some trouble in the seventh inning as a throwing error put runners on first and second with no outs. Merritt would bounce back to strike out the next two hitters, but a grounder through the left side and a bloop to center scored two unearned runs.
• A second error followed that allowed the third run of the inning to score.
• The Bulldogs got their offense going in the home-half of the inning after Jeffery Brown pushed a ball through the left side and went to second on a wild pitch.
• With two outs, Ben Peden beat out a slow roller to second to score Brown.
• The Citadel started another rally in the eighth with a leadoff double from Andrew Judkins, but were unable to push any runs across.

 
 
Inside the Box Score

• Merritt (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing three unearned runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings.
• He struck out a career high nine without walking a batter. His nine strikeouts bests his old best of eight set against Charleston Southern last season.
• DSU starter Garrett Lawson (1-0) kept the Bulldogs off balance all game as he gave up just one run on four hits over 6.2 innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.
• Jeremy Carrow (1) tossed the final 2.1 innings, allowing three hits and no runs to earn the save.
• The Bulldogs bullpen was just as effective as Alex Bialakis gave up two hits and struck outs three over 1.2 innings and Will Pillsbury retired both hitters he faced.
• Ben Peden led the offense by going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• Bryce Leasure added two hits, while Jeffery Brown scored the lone run.
• Tyler Corbitt collected his first career hit with a single in the ninth inning.

 
On Deck
The two teams will play the middle game of the three-game series Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.