CHARLESTON, WV - The Salem International University Tigers held a pair of leads through the first three innings of play against the University of Charleston, only to see the Golden Eagles score three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-4 lead en route to a 13-4 victory on Thursday night (March 9) in NCAA Division II men's baseball action.

Junior Zach Mullinax finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate for SIU, while senior Sean Deviney went 1-for-4 with two runs batted in and one run scored for the Tigers. Senior Donato Gallano and freshman Tyler Ault also recorded RBIs for SIU.

The Tigers and Golden Eagles will play a pair of games on Friday afternoon (March 10) beginning at 3 p.m. Both games will take place at Power Park in Charleston with live stats being provided for each contest.

Charleston scored the first run of the contest in the bottom of the first inning against SIU sophomore starter Albert Cartenuto. The Golden Eagles took the 1-0 lead thanks to a wild pitch with a runner on third base.

The Tigers would respond with a three-run top of the second inning. Gallano recorded a one-out double to left center to get things going in the frame for SIU. Sophmore Jimmy Cramer followed up the double with a walk to put a pair of runners on base. A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position and coupled with a single from Deviney into center field would give SIU a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Ethan Turner continued the frame for the Tigers with a double to right center and would later score on a ground out to second base by Ault.

Trailing 3-1, the Golden Eagles would cut the deficit to a single run with a two-out RBI single to right field. Cartenuto would get out of the frame and escape any further damage by recording a strikeout.

Senior Matthew Flores and Mullinax started the top of the third inning with back-to-back singles as the Tigers looked to add some insurance runs to their lead. Flores would score from third base on an aggressive play as Gallano hit a fly-ball that would be fielded by the Charleston second baseman, giving the Tigers a 4-2 lead.

After scoring a run to cut the SIU lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning, the Golden Eagles hit a two-out two-run home run to take a 5-4 lead. Cartenuto wouldn't allow Charleston to plate another run in the frame, recording the final out via strikeout with a pair of runners on base.

The Golden Eagles added a run against Cartenuto and the Tigers in the fourth and fifth innings to up their lead to 7-4. SIU went to the bullpen for the start of the sixth inning as senior Josh VanMeter took over for Cartenuto. VanMeter tossed a clean bottom of the sixth before the Golden Eagles would strike for four runs against him in the seventh inning. Charleston would string together five hits in the frame and increase its lead to 11-4.

Sophomore Joshua Delaney looked to get the Tigers through the eighth inning but would only face the first three hitters before another pitching change would be made. Senior Trent Dalton entered with one out and runners on first and third. Both runners that reached base against Delaney would score to up Charleston's lead to 13-4. The Golden Eagles left the bases loaded after tallying four hits in the inning.

SIU recorded seven hits in the game and worked a pair of walks, while Charleston recorded 17 hits and four walks. Cartenuto (0-3) was charged with seven runs on eight hits in five innings of work. He walked four batters and fanned four while facing 27 batters. VanMeter tossed two innings for SIU, allowing four runs on five hits. Both teams combined to commit just one error as SIU was charged with a miscue in bottom of the fifth inning.