Pitching Staff, Stratis Lift The Citadel to Shutout Victory at South Carolina, 4-0

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Citadel (22-22) secured the season series sweep over in-state foe South Carolina (22-24) via a 4-0 decision at Founders Park on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs’ pitching staff delivered a complete-game shutout, allowing only three hits to the Gamecocks.

Michael Gibson delivered a competitive performance at the plate with three hits, bringing his average to. 377, and drove in one run. Christian Stratis contributed significantly with three hits and three RBIs, good for his third three-RBI game of the season, as he bumped his batting average up to .343. TJ Anderson made an impact by scoring two runs.

Notably, the 2026 campaign marks the first time since 2009 that the Bulldogs have beaten the Gamecocks in both contests of the annual home-and-home setup, sweeping the season series. Additionally, the win also serves as the first time since 2011 that The Citadel has held South Carolina scoreless in a game, and the first time ever that The Citadel has done so in Columbia, S.C.

The Bulldogs’ pitching staff delivered a strong performance against the Gamecocks, holding them scoreless throughout the game. Trip Brown pitched 4.0 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two batters. Zane Davis secured the win with 2.0 innings of scoreless relief. Ben Brash finished with a clean inning, yielding no hits or runs. Gibson closed the game with a save, striking out four batters over 2.0 innings and allowing only one hit. He is now tied for the Southern Conference lead with six saves.

“Our goal is to play well and be more consistent, and I thought we had a great week of playing consistently. I thought we were good on the mound, and we keep working on attacking the zone. We used five different guys tonight,” said head coach Russell Triplett. “To show a shutout on the road, it doesn’t matter who you are playing; you must pitch well. I thought our guys did an unbelievable job. Brown set the tone, attacked the zone early, and only gave up one free base. I thought our bullpen did a good job, and Gibson came in at the end. I thought it was big for us to compete in the zone as we did.”

Up next, the Bulldogs face Presbyterian in a three-game series over the weekend. The Citadel heads to Clinton, S.C., for an away game on May 1, then returns home to host on May 2, and then returns to Presbyterian on May 3.