CHARLESTON, S.C. — Crosby Jones delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded to give the Citadel a 4-3 win over South Carolina Tuesday night at Joe Riley Park.
Carolina took a 3-2 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth but Michael Braswell walked the first two hitters. After a balk moved the runners up 90 feet and an intentional walk, Travis Lott tied the game with a base hit.
That set the stage for Jones, the Dutch Fork product who had the game-winning hit as a senior which propelled the Silver Foxes to the Class 5A state championship. Jones sent the Braswell pitch into right field for the game-winner.
The Gamecocks scored runs in each of the first two innings on a Carson Hornung RBI single in the first and Colin Burgess' first home run of the season in the second. Carolina scored its third run on a strikeout-passed ball in the sixth.
Summerville product Aiden Hunter came out of the Gamecock bullpen and worked five innings, allowing one run on three hits and he struck out one.
Braswell (1-1) took the loss for Carolina, while Tyler Dunn (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth with one strikeout to pick up the victory.
South Carolina (10-10) will host Vanderbilt starting Thursday, while the Citadel (14-6) will host George Mason starting Friday. The Bulldogs will be seeking their fifth straight victory.
