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SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel’s Ryne Hardwick’s pinch hit RBI double in eighth inning lifted the Bulldogs to a 9-8 win over the Wofford baseball team Saturday afternoon at Russell C. King Field.
The Citadel opened the top of the eighth inning of a tie game at eight with two walks of Tyler Griffin and Johnathan Stokes. Calvin Orth advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Hardwick fell behind 0-2 in his pinch hit at bat but worked the count to 2-2 before flicking a double in the gap that scored Griffin for the game winning ninth run.
Bulldog closer Skylar Hunter retired the Terriers in order in the eighth and ninth innings to preserve The Citadel 9-8 win. It was his fifth save of the season.
Jennings had two hits for the Terriers and three runs scored, while Hyman went 1-for-3 with three RBI.
Jackson and Thompson each tallied two hits for the Bulldogs, while Thompson and Griffin drove in three runs apiece.
David Rivera picked up the win with two thirds of an inning of relief work, while Matthew Milburn was saddled with the loss after giving up a run on two walks.
Mason Davis started the game with a bunt single. Hughston Armstrong followed with a fielder's choice forcing Davis out at second and Joe Jackson struck out for the second out of the inning. But, Bo Thompson gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead with a towering home run over the left field fence. After a walk, Stokes ended the top of the first inning with a fly ball to center.
Wofford answered in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run blast off the bat of Josh Hyman with one out. The homer scored Matthew Kaskow, who opened the inning off with a walk.
The Citadel kept the hits coming in the second inning with back-to-back doubles from Orth and Bret Hines to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Wofford starting pitcher Jesse Morris buckled down and stranded Hines at second with a fly ball to left, a strikeout and a weak line drive to second to end the top of the second inning.
The Citadel tacked on another run in the top of third inning when left-handed hitting Joe Jackson hit an opposite field home run to extend the lead to 4-2. The Bulldogs went down in order following the Jackson home run to end the top of the third.
Demetrius Jennings led off the bottom of the third with a lead off singled and advanced to third on a when Bulldog starter James Reeves threw wide of first base on a fail pick off attempt. After ground out to short, Alex Paradowski drove in Jennings with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left to cut the lead down to 4-3 after three.
In the top of the fifth, Armstrong got the Bulldog offense going with a one out double down the right field line. After Jackson walked, Thompson drove in his third run of the game with a single to center that scored Armstrong. Griffin stepped to the plate and drove a long blast over the right centerfield fence to open The Citadel lead out to 8-3. Morris ended the inning with strikeouts of Orth and Hines.
Jennings started a Wofford rally with a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth inning. After an Alec Paradowski walk, Jennings and Paradowski stole second and third. The throw to cut down Jennings at third bounced of the Bulldog third baseman's allowing Jennings to score and Paradowski to advance to third. Bulldog reliever Logan Cribb ended the inning with a strikeout looking to give the game an 8-4 score after five.
Wofford continued to chip away at The Citadel lead when Neely single to the short stop and stole second base. With two outs and Neely in motion, a ground ball of bat of James Plaisted hit off the glove of the Bulldog third baseman and into left field allowing Neely to score. Matthew Pelt followed with a line drive that just barely cleared the left field fence for a two-run homer to pull the Terriers within a run, 8-7, after six innings.
Jennings started another Wofford rally in the bottom of the seventh when he reached on a hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kaskow sacrificed Jennings to third and Paradowski became the second Terrier to get hit by a pitch in the inning. Hyman followed and tied the game at eight when he drove home Jennings from third with a sacrifice fly to right. The inning ended with Paradowski on first when Neely flew out to second to send the game into the final 12 outs.
Jennings had two hits for the Terriers and three runs scored, while Hyman went 1-for-3 with three RBI.
Jackson and Thompson each tallied two hits for the Bulldogs, while Thompson and Griffin drove in three runs apiece.
The two teams will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. at Russell King Field for the rubber game of the series.
