MT. PLEASANT, S.C. --- Xavier Freeman (New Lima, Okla.) mashed his first home run as a Cougar, and
Evan Sisk (Chester, S.C.) and
Nathan Ocker (Middletown, Pa.) combined for a three-hit shutout to lead the College of Charleston baseball team to a 5-0 win over Towson in Colonial Athletic Association play on Saturday afternoon.
With the win, the College of Charleston (19-20, 9-5 CAA) moves within one game of first-place Northeastern and jumps ahead of Delaware and Elon in the CAA standings. The loss drops Towson to 15-22 overall, and 3-8 in conference play. The Cougars plated five runs on eight hits, while recording their second shutout of the season by holding the Tigers to just three base hits.
Joey Mundy (Huntington, W.Va.) paced the offense with a 2-for-3 day and drove in a run, while Freeman plated two with his first home run of the season.
Tommy Richter (Wayne, Pa.) picked up an RBI as well, while
Luke Manzo (Marietta, Ga.) and
Dupree Hart (Rock Hill, S.C.) each recorded a double.
Sisk put together one of his best starts of the season with seven shutout innings, scattering three hits and striking out seven while not allowing a walk. Ocker followed with two perfect frames and struck out three to complete the shutout.
Mark Grunberg led the Tigers with a 2-for-4 effort – including a double – while Billy Lennox record Towson's third hit with a two-bagger. Kevin Ross took the ball and surrendered four runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. David Marriggi allowed one unearned run in the eighth.
The Cougars opened an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, when Hart doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and came home on a fly to center by Richter. After Mundy stroked a two-out single to center in the fifth, Freeman tagged a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left center for a two-run homer to push the advantage to 3-0.
Mundy drove in
Ari Sechopoulos (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) with a single to right center in the seventh, before Manzo doubled and scored on an error in the eighth to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.
Charleston will go for the series sweep of the Tigers on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Patriots Point.