CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel erased a six-run deficit late in the game, but it was not to be as the Bulldogs fell, 7-6, to North Carolina A&T in 11 innings Friday evening inside Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
Game Information
Score: North Carolina A&T 7, The Citadel 6 (11)
Records: North Carolina A&T (3-6), The Citadel (3-5)
Location: Charleston, South Carolina (Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park)
Series: The Citadel leads 5-1
How it Happened
- The Aggies got on the board in the second inning thanks to a pair of walks. Both runners came in to score on a base hit through the right side from Dustin Baber. The second runner scored on the play after the throw sailed over the head of the catcher.
- NCAT added to the lead in the fourth after a three-run homer from Xavier Bussey.
- Trevor Sheehan started the fifth with a solo home run to left.
- The Bulldogs got on the board in the sixth inning after Cam Jensen beat out an infield single and took second on the throwing error.
- Travis Lott lined the next pitch into center field for a RBI single. When the ball was misplayed by the center fielder, Lott hustled all the way to third.
- Tilo Skole drove in Lott with a groundout to short.
- The Citadel added a run in the seventh inning after Ryan McCarthy beat out an infield single and later scored on a Cole Simpson single through the right side.
- The offense came calling again in the eighth with a rocket one-hop single to shortstop off the bat of Lott.
- With one out, Tyler Corbitt belted a two-run shot to left field for his second homer of the season.
- Crosby Jones nearly made it back-to-back as he lined a double off the wall in right center.
- Noah Mitchell tied the game when he doubled into the gap in left center.
- After both teams went scoreless in the ninth and 10th innings, the Aggies pushed across an unearned run in the 11th on a base hit from Cameran Brantley
Inside the Box Score
- The Bulldogs erased a six-run deficit to tie the game in the eighth. They scored two runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and three in the eighth.
- It marked the second-straight game the Bulldogs trailed by at least five runs and came back to tie the game.
- The Citadel finished with nine hits, four of which went for extra bases.
- Crosby Jones finished 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles.
- Travis Lott added two hits and scored a pair of runs.
- Five Bulldog relievers combined to allow just one unearned run on four hits and six strikeouts.
- Chace Cooper gave up just one hit and struck out three over 2.0 shutout innings.
- Austin Blakely allowed just one hit in one shutout innings.
- Gant Starling threw 1.2 innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.
- Startling kept the game tied in the ninth after striking out back-to-back hitters with the base loaded.
- In the 10th, Startling got a pair of popups with runners on second and third.
- Devin Beckley (1-1) suffered the loss after giving up an unearned run on one hit.
- Evan Gates (1-0) earned the victory after allowing just one hit and striking out seven over 3.2 scoreless innings.
Up Next
The Bulldogs and Aggies play the middle game of the three-game series Saturday at 5 p.m.