Freshman Agard Leads CSU’s Offensive Onslaught in Home-Opening Win

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern made a statement in its home opener Friday afternoon, using two six-run frames to power past visiting Marshall, 18-8 at Nielsen Field. Freshman JC Agard fueled the offense, leaving the yard twice as part of three CSU homers on the afternoon.

Charleston Southern (2-3) used a season-high in hits (16) and runs (18), including two frames of six, to power its way to the series-opening win. The three home runs hit stand as the first three of the season for the Bucs as well.

Marshall (3-1) was the first to score in the contest as a Gabriel Cabrera single to left opened the offense for the Herd.The visitors also found the second run of the game as well in the second frame, as Daniel Carinci hit a solo shot to left to make it 2-0.

The Bucs answered the call in their half of the second as Jaylin Rae singled up the middle to bring Casey Asman around to score. Agard then followed that up with his first of two bombs to give the Bucs the 3-2 advantage as his towering shot did enough to stay fair down the line in left.

The third stanza was busy for both sides as Marshall opened it up with two in the top half to retake the lead. A Luke Edwards double down the line in left scored Gio Ferraro before he came around to score himself off a Cabrera sacrifice fly. The Bucs answered right back as Rae singled Asman home and an Agard ball on the infield was enough to score Ashton Wilson. Connor Aldrich made his mark on the inning as well, as a sacrifice bunt brought Rae around.

The Herd would give it one more go as a two-run shot from Chris Noble tied the game up, but that would be as close as Marshall would get the rest of the way. The Bucs would answer with six runs in the frame. James Jett opened the scoring with a double down the line in left to score Ike George. It was then Asman that scored Jett and Bryce Brock with a single to left before Agard unloaded for his second tank of the contest to score Wilson and Asman.

The Herd got two in the sixth with Noble’s second home run of the game to make it 12-8, but those two runs would be it for the visitors.

The seventh frame would be the last one to feature runs for either team, as Charleston Southern put together their second six-run frame of the contest started by Nicholas Fazzari’s single through the right side to score Agard. Asman scored George and Fazzari with a single to right and Wilson put the exclamation point with a three-run shot to left center to make it 18-8.

Zac Robinson (1-1) gets the win after his four innings of relief held the Bucs where they needed to be in order to see the win through. Sam Massey got the no decision after starting and getting nine outs, giving up four earned on six hits and a strikeout. Dylan Matsuoka looked strong out of the bullpen and collected the final six outs, allowing just one baserunner via a walk across his two hitless frames.

Patrick Copen (L, 0-1) takes the loss for Marshall as he was charged with seven runs (five earned) on five hits and two strikeouts across three innings. Chad Heiner and Bryce Blevins were each charged with five runs each and Colby Collins was responsible for the final run given up by the Herd pitching staff.

UP NEXT

The two programs return to Nielsen Field for the second of three scheduled for the series tomorrow, as the action is set for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch.

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