CHARLESTON, S.C. –Senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) drove in three runs and freshman Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) earned his third win of the season as the 19th-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (34-8) defeated The Citadel (24-16) 5-1 April 24 in Charleston, S.C.

Sophomore David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) opened the game with a single to right. He moved to second on senior Dom Duggan’s (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) 19th sacrifice of the year. After a walk to senior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall), junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) singled home Sappelt to give Coastal an early 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs tied the contest in the bottom of the frame as Bryan Altman led off the inning with an opposite field triple and scored on a groundout by Chris Swauger.

Coastal broke through for two runs in the fifth. With one out, Raber singled up the middle. He went to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a single from Baldridge. Baldridge moved up a base on a passed ball and both runners scored on a singled up the middle by Rademacher.

Coastal added a pair in the seventh. Duggan hit a ground-rule double to center with one out. He would score on a single by Raber. Raber moved to second on a Baldridge groundout. Rademacher then singled through the left side to bring in Raber and give Coastal a 5-1 lead.

The Citadel hit back-to-back singles to start the seventh, but junior Joey Haug (Holt, Mo./Maple Woods C.C.) ended the threat with a foul out, a strikeout and a fly out. Haug gave up a double in the eighth, but then went 1-2-3 and sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) pitched a perfect ninth to give the Chants their 34th win of the year.

The top five Chants in the order had two hits apiece (Sappelt, Duggan, Raber, Baldridge and Rademacher). Raber also scored two runs. For The Citadel, Swauger and Matt Arnold had two hits apiece.

McCully pitched five innings and allowing four hits and one run. The three Coastal relievers did not allow a run in four innings of work. Matt Reifsnider was tagged with the loss, going five innings and allowing eight hits, two earned runs and three strikeouts.

Coastal hosts its final series at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field this weekend as the Chants face Liberty. The first game is Friday, April 27 at 6 p.m.