Bucs use 20 Hits, 12 runs to complete sweep of Kansas

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern continued with its power five success Wednesday night, topping Kansas 12-4 at Nielsen to complete the sweep and give the Bucs their first three-game win streak of the year. Each of the last three wins have come against power five opponents in Georgia and Kansas.

Charleston Southern (8-10), like the previous night, were the first to jump on the board as Jaylin Rae roped a ball to left to score Ike George and Nicholas Fazzari in the third. Ashton Wilson would cap the scoring in the frame with a single to left to score Bryce Brock and the Bucs took a 3-0 lead after three.

Kansas (7-8), again like the previous affair, waited until the fourth frame to have a response, but it was a big one as Jake English’s single to left was enough to score Mike Koszewski. Janson Reeder then gave the Jayhawks the lead with one swing, taking a ball deep to right for a three-run shot.

The Bucs would retake the lead in the fifth as Chandler Tuupo stayed hot with a single to left that was enough to score Rae and Brock, each for the second time in the contest. Tyrell Brewer was productive in the frame as well, as his ball to short was enough to plate Wilson and give the Bucs the 6-4 lead, a lead they would not give back.

The Buccaneers made the most of the seventh inning as well, blowing the game open and leaving little doubt left for their third-straight win. Brock got the scoring started as he came around on a wild pitch before James Jett’s single scored Tuupo. Fazzari came up big as well, singling up the middle to score Connor Aldrich and Wilson before George’s ball through the right side brough Jett around to score.

The eighth was the last frame to see any runs, as pinch-hitter Ernesto Polanco shot a ball through the right side to plate Tuupo for the second time in the game to make it 12-4. Seven different Bucs recorded multiple hits tonight, with Aldrich, Tuupo and Rae each recording three and George, Brock, Wilson and Fazzari each adding two.

Evan Truitt (1-3) gets the win for Charleston Southern after coming on in in the fifth and pitching two frames of one-hit baseball, giving keeping the Jayhawks off the board. Ryan Gleason got the start for the Bucs, pitching a clean first frame while using just 11 pitches to record the first three outs before giving way to Devin MacWatters. Eddie Olsen was credited the save after getting the final nine outs, striking out five while giving up just three hits and no runs.

Gavin Brasosky (L, 0-1) takes the loss for Kansas as he was charged with four earned across 2.1 innings of work after coming on in the fifth. Hunter Cranton went two innings in his start but was cleared of a decision after he had to give way to Karter Muck in the third.

UP NEXT

Charleston Southern is set to open Big South play with a three-game set with UNC Asheville at Nielsen Field. The two sides opened conference play with each other a season ago in Asheville with the Bulldogs taking each of the three.