College of Charleston
The Citadel
Cougars Secure Series Win with 7-3 Win Over The Citadel
5/9/2010 2:00:00 AM | Baseball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Senior RHP Kevin Decker (Washington, Ind./Seminole CC) scattered five hits over 6-2/3 innings and struck out eight as College of Charleston knocked off The Citadel 7-3 in Southern Conference action Saturday evening at Patriots Point. The win clinches the season series for the Cougars, improving their overall record to 35-12 and 19-7 in the SoCon. The Citadel falls to 29-19 overall and 17-6 in the league.
The Citadel opened up the scoring in the second inning, plating a run on a RBI groundout by David Greene that scored Bryan Altman from third. Both Decker and Citadel starter Matt Talley kept their opponents off the board until the Cougars took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs in the frame.
Junior DH Jesse Mesa (Miramar, Fla./Central Florida JC) led off the inning with a base on balls and stole second. Mesa advanced to third on a strikeout by redshirt-junior RF Hutson Dodds (Charleston, S.C./Porter Gaud) and scored on a RBI groundout by junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC). With two outs, senior 2B Joey Bergman (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) walked on six pitches and junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando) brought him home with a RBI double to left to take a 2-1 lead. Junior C Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) singled to left field and advanced to second on the throw from the outfield. While attempting to throw out Kral at second, the throw from Citadel C Grant Richards sailed into center, allowing Kral to reach third and scoring Rakar. Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) roped a RBI double down the right-field line to plate Kral and give CofC the 4-1 advantage.
The two teams traded single runs in the sixth inning, with The Citadel scoring on a RBI double to left by Altman and the Cougars getting the run back on a RBI single up the middle by Dodds that scored Mesa from second. The Bulldogs cut the Charleston lead to 5-3 in the top of the seventh, scoring on a bases-loaded walk by Decker that sent the senior to the bench in favor of junior reliever Josh Salay (Rock Hill, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College).
Charleston picked up a pair of runs in the eighth to seal the game. Junior PH Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) led off with a double to left center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Holler. Bergman was intentionally walked and during a failed pickoff attempt, advanced to third on the throwing error by Citadel reliever Raymond Copenhaver. Knox scored on the play and after Rakar struck out, Kral delivered a RBI single to right to score Bergman.
Decker improved to 6-0 on the season, allowing three runs, two earned. Salay tossed 2-1/3 innings of shutout relief to earn his first save of the year. The right-hander scattered two hits and struck out two. Kral and Bergman had two hits apiece, while sophomore LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) had a single in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.
Talley took the loss for The Citadel, allowing five runs on six hits in six innings. The junior struck out four and walked four.
Charleston and The Citadel complete the three-game Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
