CHARLESTON, S.C. – A pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning helped lead The Citadel (13-15) to a 6-3 victory over Longwood (18-12) in the first contest of a three-game series Thursday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park.
Zach Hunt recorded two hits, scored twice, and drove in two runs, notably pushing him into a tie with
TJ Anderson on the RBI leaderboard (20).
Christian Stratis contributed with a hit, a run, and an RBI as well.
Garrett Fulmer hit a triple among his two hits, bringing in one run.
Lane Tobin drove in two runs with a hit, and
Jayden Williams extended his on-base streak to 18 and added his team-leading 15th walk.
The Citadel ranks third in the SoCon with seven triples and third with 60 stolen bases.
On the mound,
Will Holmes pitched 6.0 innings with seven strikeouts and allowed three earned runs to earn the win.
Liam Foley came in for two scoreless innings, striking out two without allowing any hits or walks.
CJ Van Slooten closed out the matchup, tossing a full frame while allowing two hits and one walk en route to his second save of the season.
For the Lancers, Ben Pulliam and Jack McMullan both recorded doubles and an RBI. Jackson Garland took the loss after pitching 5.2 innings, allowing five hits, four earned runs, and striking out seven.
"I thought it was a great day. Charleston County schools out here brought energy to the park. I thought it was a great environment," head coach
Russell Triplett said. "Moving forward, we got off to a slow start. Our guy didn't have command at first and kind of battled his way through it. He lost control early but then settled in and became more like himself. I also thought the bullpen was good; Foley and Van Slooten were solid.
"Offensively, it was huge for us to answer after giving up two in the first, then come back and score three. Their guy also did well. He settled in and pitched effectively. Later, we were able to add one more, which was big. Big hit by
Lane Tobin, a crucial moment considering the last couple of games with negative thoughts, maybe in our minds at the end of the game. So, a strong start to the series. Good first day."
Up next, the Bulldogs face Longwood on Friday, April 3, at 1 p.m. ET at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
