#5 The Citadel 4, #6 Western Carolina 2

 

CIT-WCU Box Score

 

CHARLESTON, SC ? Fifth-seeded The Citadel scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat sixth-seeded Western Carolina 4-2 in a loser’s bracket semifinal at the 2006 SoCon Baseball Championship at Riley Park.

 

The Citadel (33-26) moves on to face top-seeded Elon in the loser’s bracket final at 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 27 at Riley Park, with the winner of that contest advancing to the championship game at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday against tournament unscathed #2 College of Charleston. Western Carolina ends its season at 33-27.

 

Sid Fallaw originated things for the Bulldogs in the stanza by doubling down the right field line to put a runner in scoring position.

 

Tripp Cappelmann then singled to short centerfield to put a runner at second and third base. The Citadel leadoff hitter Matt Covington promptly singled down the left field line to plate Fallaw and square the game at 2-2.

 

After a double play left the Bulldogs with just one out to try and go out on top, The Citadel’s Sonny Meade singled to left centerfield to score Cappelman and garner the game-winning run and place The Citadel ahead for the first time in the game at 3-2.

 

The Bulldogs added their fourth and final run of the contest on a Matt Matulia double down the left field line that sent Meade homeward.

 

The Catamounts procured the first score of the game in the bottom of the second inning. All-SoCon performer Steven Strausbaugh led off the inning by singling to the right side.

 

After two consecutive outs, Western Carolina’s Scott Ward then singled to advance Strausbaugh to second and place runners at the first two bases. One batter later Donnie Wilson singled to third base.

 

After a wild play ensued in which two errors were made by The Citadel, Strausbaugh was able to touch the dish on an errant throw by Bulldog third baseman Matt Arnold to give the Catamounts a 1-0 advantage.

 

In the top of the fourth inning The Citadel squared the contest at 1-1 on a Brady Mashak single through the right side. The single was enough to score Matulia, who had led off the inning with a base-on-balls off The Citadel starting pitcher Matt Crim.

 

The tie game would not last long, as the Catamounts’ Trey McDaniel scored to give the Catamounts the go-ahead run at 2-1.