Zach Hunt with the game-winning single in the 10th
The Citadel 9-UIC 8 (10 innings) Game Summary
- In a game that went back and forth over the final four innings, The Citadel delivered the final punch in the bottom of the tenth, a two-run single by Zach Hunt, to advance to a second elimination game Sunday in Atlanta.
- The Bulldogs trailed 3-2 going to the bottom of the seventh. They scored five runs, including back-to-back solo homers by Hunt and Sam Dansky, for a 7-3 lead with standout reliever Michael Gibson on the mound.
- The Flames, however, were not ready to be extinguished. Two homers in the eighth and one in the ninth tied the game at 7-7. And another blast in the top of the tenth put UIC up 8-7.
- But the Dogs had one more bite left in them. Back-to-back walks and a sac bunt brought Hunt to the plate, and he delivered a single to center on the second pitch of the at-bat to drive in TJ Anderson from third with the tying run, and Gibson from second with the winning run.
- Gibson (5-2) earned the win in relief despite giving up five runs on seven hits, including four homers.
- The Bulldogs were dropped into the loser’s bracket game earlier on Saturday with an 8-3 loss to Oklahoma. The Bulldogs led 3-1 going to the bottom of the fourth, but the Sooners scored three times to take the lead and never looked back. The Bulldogs managed just three hits over the final five innings.
- The Bulldogs will face the loser of tonight’s game between Oklahoma and Georgia Tech in another loser’s bracket game on Sunday at 1:00 PM.