Box Score Box Score

CHARLESTON, SC--A four-run third inning by The Citadel was all the Bulldogs needed as they defeated the visiting Winthrop Eagles 9-2 Wednesday night at Joseph P. Riley Park.

The loss drops Winthrop to 3-15 on the season while The Citadel evened its record at 8-8.  The two teams will square off once more this season on April 17 when the Bulldogs visit Rock Hill.

Winthrop starting pitcher Mitchell Knox suffered the loss as he allowed five runs and seven hits in three innings of work and drops to 0-4 this year.  Two of the runs were unearned.  Reliever Steven Howell surrendered The other five Citadel runs as he went two and two-thirds innings.  Southpaw James Reeves took the win to improve his record to 4-1 as he came on in relief of starter  TJ Clarkson in the third inning and threw two innings of shutout baseball.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning when Justin Hopper lined a double down the left field line with one out and came home on a single down the line by Patrick Gamblin who was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double.  The lead was short-lived, however, as The Citadel tied the score with a run in the bottom of the inning.  Justin Mackert beat out an infield single to begin the inning and advanced to third on a single by Bo Thompson.  He scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Griffin.

The Bulldogs plated four runs on five hits in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead.  A one-out throwing error by Eagle second baseman Chad Smith as he attempted to cut down lead off hitter Mason Davis on a force play helped open the door for two unearned runs.  Davis and reached base on a single and was safe at second when Smith's errant throw on Nick Orvin's ground ball put runners on first and second. Mackert, who went 4 for 5 on the night doubled down the right field line to score  Davis from third base with the go ahead run.  Thompson, who had a perfect 4 for 4 night and four RBI, drove Orvin and Mackert home with a single to center.  After Knox was able to get Griffin on strikes for the second out, a single by Drew KeKerlegand scored Thompson from second.

The Citadel tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth  when Mackert singled up the middle, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Winthrop catcher Austen Barber.  Mackert scored on a single to left by Thompson.

Winthrop scored its second run in the sixth after Smith led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a ground out.  Jason Driver drove him home with a one-out single to left field.  The Bulldogs answered again in their half of the inning with three more runs on four hits.  Mackert and Thompson again played key roles in the scoring.  Mackert smacked his second double of the game and scored his fourth run on a RBI single by Thompson.

The Eagles, who were coming off a season-high 14 hits in a Monday night win over Valparaiso, had seven hits in the game and were led by Driver and Hopper who had two hits each.  Mackert and Thompson had eight of The Citadel's 13 hits. 

Winthrop will return home for a weekend series against Rider University that gets underway at 6 p.m. on Friday at The Winthrop Ballpark.  Games are also set for 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.