CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Wofford baseball team jumped on The Citadel with five runs in the first and eight in the third en route to a 14-3 seven-inning victory over the Bulldogs Friday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Wofford improves to 19-8 and 1-0 in SoCon play as The Citadel falls to 14-13 (2-2 SoCon).
 
Branton Little (4-2) earned the victory after tossing all 7.0 innings. He allowed five hits with three runs (one earned), striking out six with no walks surrendered. Little tossed a pair of 1-2-3 frames.
 
"I felt great," said Little of his performance. "I feel like baseball kind of got me in the second, but me being able to continue to attack through all that, just trust my defense, is where my strength is. That's what I was able to do tonight."
 
"It's awesome," added the Mount Pleasant native of pitching in the Low Country. "I could not have asked for a better outcome and better turn out from my family, so I'm really blessed and really thankful for that."
 
Bulldog starter Andrew Stanley (1-2) was saddled with the loss after giving up eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and four walks in just 2.0 innings of action.
 
All nine Terrier starters reached base safely with eight of the nine notching a hit. Ryan Wynn led the way with three base knocks, including a double, alongside two RBI. James Layman, Tanner Hardin, and Niko Brini each tallied two hits with Layman and Hardin adding three RBI and a double each. Brini knocked in two runs. Lucas Manning added an RBI, and though hitless, David Wiley recorded two RBI and had a walk. Brini and Ethan Belk each swiped a base.
 
Wofford wasted no time getting on the board, striking for five runs in the top of the first. Tyler Hare and Ryan Wynn hit back-to-back singles, and James Layman dropped a double into left center that brough both runners home. After Andrew Mannelly walked, Tanner Hardin hit a two-run double to nearly the same spot Layman's landed. Lucas Manning singled up the middle to bring Hardin home, marking a quick 5-0 lead.
 
The Citadel got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. An error brought in the first run, and later in the frame a double steal saw another cross the plate. The Citadel pulled within 5-2.
 
In the top of the third, Wofford responded with eight runs, tying for the team's largest scoring output in an inning this season. Back-to-back walks opened up the inning, and the Bulldogs sailed a throw on Lucas Manning's sacrifice bunt to bring home a run. Niko Brini singled home a pair, and later with the bases loaded, Wynn roped a double to right center to bring in two more. David Wiley's RBI groundout extended the lead, and Layman's  RBI single pushed the margin to double-digits at 10 runs. Mannelly singled, and Hardin brought home another run with his RBI single to make the score 13-2.
 
"We were just trying to get guys on base, get runners in scoring position and just hit them in, and it worked," said Layman of the eight-run frame.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs used a sacrifice fly to get a run back, pulling within 13-3.
 
Pitching settled in for both squads from there as the next two frames went by scoreless. The Terriers claimed an insurance run in the top of the seventh with a David Wiley sacrifice fly, stretching the advantage to 14-3.
 
The Citadel recorded a two-out hit in the bottom of the seventh to try to stay alive, but Branton Little retired the following batter to close out the contest and seal the 14-3 triumph.
 
The series continues tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in Charleston.