June 5, 2004
Columbia, S.C. –
Behind an outstanding complete game pitching performance by Jonathan Ellis, the Citadel baseball team’s bats came alive in a 10-1 victory over Coastal Carolina in an elimination game of the Columbia, S.C. NCAA Regional at Sarge Frye Field.
Ellis (12-3) was the story for the Bulldogs (39-27) throughout the game, holding the Chanticleers (40-23) hitless until sixth, when Brett Grandstrand and Jon Foisy began the frame with back-to-back singles. Ellis then induced a flyout by Costanzo and struck out Gordon and Chris Raber to end the inning. He finished the game with a career-high 13 strikeouts, while scattering six hits and walking five.
Coastal threatened to take an early lead in the bottom of the first inning as Grandstrand reached on a two-base error to begin the frame and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Foisy. Ellis then struck out both Mike Costanzo and Brett Gordon to end the threat and the inning.
Chip Cannon put the Citadel ahead by a 1-0 count in the top of the second inning as he crushed Steven Carter’s (12-3) 1-0 offering over the centerfield fence for his 17th homer of the year. The Bulldogs upped their advantage to 2-0 in the top of the third inning when Matt Matulia reached on an error and moved to third on a single by Matt Covington, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Chris Ard.
Matt Covington homered off the scoreboard in right-center field in the top of the fifth inning to give The Citadel a 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs then chased Carter in the top of the sixth inning, scoring five runs, with the big hit coming in the form of a three-run double by Ard to right-center field that scored Covington and Matulia, making the score 8-0.
The Chanticleers got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning as Costanzo led off with a double to left-center field and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Raber, putting the score at 9-1.
The Citadel advances to play the loser of the game between South Carolina and North Carolina in an elimination game that will begin at 7 p.m. tonight.
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