Feb. 23, 2007

Box Score

Contact: Josh Rattray

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Senior Stephen Procner pitched into the eighth allowing just three hits and Cleveland State scored the winning run in the top of the ninth to defeat Charleston Southern, 3-2, Friday afternoon. The Vikings, who have won two straight, improve to 2-2 on the year while Charleston Southern falls to 6-4.

Procner (0-1) scattered the three hits over 7.1 innings, striking out four and walking four to earn a no decision. He yielded two runs, one being earned.

"We got a good pitching performance from Procner," head coach Kevin Kocks said. "And our relief pitching kept us in the game."

Junior infielder Bobby Cash went 3-for-5 while senior outfielder John Westra had two hits. Sophomore Matt Madrid had a pair of RBI.

With the game tied 2-2 in the ninth, Westra scored the winning run after reaching on an error with one out. After singles by Cash and sophomore Jeff Schellhammer loaded the bases with one out, junior Josh Geric laid down a sac bunt to score Westra from third.

"It was good for us to take advantage of their errors," Kocks said.

McKitrick gave up a single to start the bottom of the ninth before giving way to Henry.

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the eighth, the Vikings rallied after a Buccaneer error with two outs put runners on second and third for Madrid, who tied the game with a two-run single to center. Schellhammer and junior Wallace Richardson scored on the hit.

Charleston Southern scored one run each in the first and the fifth. Wes Brunbridge led off the bottom of the first with a single and scored on a double by Steven Herzog. In the fifth, the Buccaneers tallied a run when Will Rodriguez scored on a Brunbridge sac fly.

Both teams committed four errors in the contest. Charleston Southern's Brandon Roberts fanned seven over 7.2 innings of work before giving way to the bullpen.

The Vikings play College of Charleston Saturday at 1:00 p.m. before a rematch with the Buccaneers on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.