Bucs clinch series with 7-4 win over North Carolina A&T

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern baseball earned its second Big South series victory on the season after taking game two with North Carolina A&T, 7-4, at Nielsen Field Saturday afternoon.

A three-run sixth frame broke the 4-4 tie and proved to be the difference for the home side. Charleston Southern (12-17, 4-4 Big South) take the early advantage as Austen Izzio got a backed-up slider and turned on it for a three-run shot to left as Tyrell Brewer and Ryan Waldschmidt were plated on the play.

Both Charleston Southern starter Jerry Couch and North Carolina A&T starter Jaheim Brown were able to settle in, with neither team finding the board again until the fifth frame.

Hayden Harris picked up an RBI on a groundout that brought Connor Carter around to score to push the Charleston Southern advantage to 4-0.

North Carolina A&T (10-16, 0-5 Big South) would not go quietly, as the visitors tied the contest up at four in the sixth. Alec Seaton scored the first Aggie run on a CSU miscue, extending the inning to allow Chet Sikes to tie the game with a three-run home run with two-outs.

The big sixth for the Aggies spelled the end of another quality start for CSU’s Couch, as the righty exited after 5.2 innings without surrendering an earned run on seven hits and three punchies.

Zac Robinson got the call out of the bullpen and was able to work out of the sixth. Charleston Southern answered the call in the same frame, finding three runs in the home-half to re-take a lead that would not be surrendered again.

Peyton Mills started the bid with a double down the left field line to score Ryan Waldschmidt.

Peyton Basler joined in on the fun with a single to right to plate Mills. Izzio capped the frame off after being pushed around on a balk, as that would be all CSU needed.

Zac Robinson (W, 2-1) gets the win for Charleston Southern after getting out of the sixth and holding the Aggies scoreless in the seventh with CSU taking the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Couch got the no decision and Krishna Raj picked up his second save of the season after working the final two frames, surrendering just two hits facing just two batters over the minimum.

Jaheim Brown (L, 1-3) gets credited with the loss for North Carolina A&T after working 5.2 innings of five-earned baseball, being responsible for the Waldschmidt run in the sixth.

“Jerry gave us a really good start today allowing no earned runs. Zac and Raj were terrific in relief,” said Head Coach Marc MacMillan. “Izzio got us going offensively with a big 3-run HR plus played stellar defense. I thought we had some big 2-out at bats that allowed us to both extend innings and our lead. It was a good day to be a BUC.”

UP NEXT

Charleston Southern will look to take all three for North Carolina A&T as the weekender finale is set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at Nielsen Field.

Evan Truitt will get the start for the Bucs, as the righty carries 4.63 earned run average into the contest.