Western Carolina Rallies Past Bulldogs 6-5

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Western Carolina (12-4, 2-1)	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	2	0	6	11	1
The Citadel (7-8, 1-2)	0	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	5	8	2
@ Charleston, S.C. | Joseph P. Riley Park

Pitching
Win: Preston Hatcher (2-0) - Western Carolina
Loss: Ross White (0-3) - The Citadel

Western Carolina Batting
2B: Tyler White; Ross Heffley 2
3B: none
HR: Dale Urquhart

The Citadel Batting
2B: Drew DeKerlegand
3B: none
HR: Joe Jackson; Justin Mackert

full stats

Charleston, S.C. – Western Carolina scored two runs in the eighth inning to rally past The Citadel for a 6-5 victory Sunday afternoon in Southern Conference action at Riley Park, taking the weekend series two game to one. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in the league.

Trailing 5-4, Western Carolina (12-4, 2-1 SoCon) put the first two batters on base and a RBI single by Jacob Hoyle knotted the game at 5-5. Bryant Noteboom followed with another RBI single to plate Ross Heffley with the eventual winning run.

After Western Carolina opened the scoreboard with a single run in the first on a RBI single by Hoyle, the Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second. Justin Mackert led off the frame with a single and Drew DeKerlegand knocked a RBI double to right center to knot the game at 1-1. Bo Thompson walked and balk on Catamount starter Jeremy Null moved the runners to second and third for Bailey Rush, who hit a RBI groundout to first, giving the Bulldogs a one-run lead.

The two clubs traded single runs in the third to put the score at 3-2 for the home squad. Western Carolina plated its run on a RBI double down the left-field line by Ross Heffley, while the Bulldogs took back the 3-2 lead on a solo home run to right by Joe Jackson, his first career round-tripper.

The Catamounts knotted the score at 3-3 in the fourth on a solo home run to right by Dale Urquhart.

The Citadel pulled ahead once again in the fifth, scoring a pair of runs on Justin Mackert's two-run homer to left center, his fourth of the season and ninth career. Davis reached on fielding error at third to open the frame and one batter later, Nick Orvin reached on a fielder's choice to third, with Davis out on the play. Mackert then took a 2-1 pitch from Catamount reliever Adam Curtis over the wall in left center.

Western Carolina chipped away at the Bulldogs' lead with a run in the sixth to make the score 5-4 on Heffley's second RBI double of the afternoon. The Catamounts then plated the pair of runs in the eighth to take the lead and the weekend series from the Bulldogs.

Preston Hatcher picked up the win for the Catamounts, tossing 2-1/3 shutout innings of relief and allowing two hits. Null went four innings, allowing four runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Heffley led the Catamounts' offense with a pair hits and two RBI.

Ross White took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing two unearned runs on two hits. Citadel starter Logan Cribb tossed six innings, scattering seven hits and allowing four runs and striking out eight. Jackson and Mackert each had two hits for the Bulldogs.

The Citadel returns to action Wednesday evening with a non-conference matchup against Winthrop at Riley Park. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

For more information on Bulldog baseball, follow us on Twitter at @CitadelBaseball or visit www.CitadelSports.com.

#CITADELSPORTS.COM#