College of Charleston
The Citadel
Baseball Rallies to Take a 13-9 Victory over The Citadel
5/8/2010 1:00:00 AM | Baseball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Sophomore LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) went 4-for-4 with three RBI as the Cougars scored runs in each of the last five innings to take a 13-9 victory over The Citadel Friday evening in game one of a three-game Southern Conference series at Patriots Point. CofC improves to 34-12 on the season and 18-7 in the SoCon. The Citadel falls to 29-18, 17-5 in the league.
The Cougars jumped on the scoreboard early, touching Citadel starter Asher Wojciechowski for three runs in the first inning. Senior 2B Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) led off the frame with a single to right and advanced two bases to third on a fielding error by Citadel RF Matt Simonelli. Junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) lined a RBI single to left center, scoring Bergman for a 1-0 lead. Junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) walked and Rakar moved to third on a fly out to right by sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage). Rakar would score and Kral would advance to second on a passed ball and Rodriguez gave Charleston a 3-0 lead on a RBI single to left that scored Kral. The single increased Rodriguez's hitting streak to 13 games.
The Citadel charged back to take the lead in the top of the fourth, plating six runs for a 6-3 lead. With one out, Kyle Jordan reached first after being hit by a pitch and scored on a RBI double down the left-field line by David Greene. Two more RBI doubles, off the bats of Grant Richards and William Ladd, knotted the score at 3-3 and a RBI single by Nick Orvin gave the Citadel a one-run advantage. With Orvin on second, junior reliever Casey Lucchese (Lexington, Ky./Paul Lawrence Dunbar) replaced freshman starting RHP Christian Powell (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood). Brad Felder deposited the first pitch from Lucchese over the wall in left center for a two-run homer and a 6-3 Citadel lead.
Charleston cut into the Citadel lead with a single run in the bottom of the frame, as junior RF Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) plated Rodriguez on a fielder's choice to short. The Bulldogs picked the run back up in the top of the fifth, scoring on a wild pitch by Lucchese. CofC scored two more in the bottom of the inning, to cut the Citadel lead to 7-6. Bergman led off the frame with a double to left and Kral blasted a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right center for his 14th round-tripper of the season.
The Cougars took the lead for good in the sixth, scoring four runs off Citadel reliever Matt Reifsnider to take a 10-7 advantage. Knox led off the frame with a double to right and junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC) reached first on a fielder's choice with Knox being called out on a close play at third. Bergman lined his second double of the evening to left center to score Holler from first. Rakar roped a RBI single to center and Kral continued the onslaught with a double to right center, chasing Reifsnider to the bench in favor of TJ Clarkson. After Clarkson struck out Leeds, Rodriguez found the gap in left center for a two-run single and a three-run Cougar lead.
Charleston added two more in the seventh on back-to-back solo home runs by Knox and Holler to put The Citadel in a 12-7 hole after seven complete. The Bulldogs plated two more in the eighth on a two-run blast by Bryan Altman, while The Cougars added a single run in the bottom of the frame on a RBI double by senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly R.I./ Lake City CC). Senior LHP Owen Brittle (Cross, S.C./Florence Darlington Tech) tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to close the door for the Cougars.
Lucchese picked up the win for the Cougars, improving to 2-0 on the season. The junior tossed 3-1/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Powell allowed five runs on five hits, striking out three in 3-1/3 innings. Bergman finished the game with three hits and three runs scored, while Rakar, Kral, Blake and Knox added two hits apiece.
Reifsnider took the loss for The Citadel, allowing four runs on four hits in 1/3 of an inning. Wojciechowski gave up six runs on seven hits in five innings with four walks and four strikeouts. Orvin and Richards had two hits each for the Bulldogs.
Charleston and The Citadel return to the field for game two of the series Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.
