Mauldin High Grad Wins SoCon Tourney Game in Dramatic Fashion

Mauldin High product, catcher Joe Jackson, hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a dramatic opening game and lift fourth-seeded The Citadel past No. 5 seed Appalachian State 6-5 at the Southern Conference Baseball Championships at Fluor Field on Wednesday.

Jackson, a first-team All-Conference selection, took Taylor Thurber's 0-1 offering out to left-center to give the Bulldogs (33-24) the win after the Mountaineers (28-23) had staged an impressive rally to tie the game in the top half of the inning.

Trailing 5-3 entering the ninth, Appalachian State got a one-out walk from Preston Troutman to get the rally going. One out later, Hector Crespo sent the first pitch he saw from Bulldog closer Skylar Hunter (3-4) out to left-center to give the Mountaineers life and knot the game at 5.

Appalachian State had a chance for more, but after Noah Holmes' double, pinch-runner Brandon Burris was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on Will Callaway's infield single.

Thurber (3-2) got a four-pitch strikeout for the first out of the bottom of the ninth before Jackson ended the game.

Jackson reached base in all five of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a double, homer and three walks to pace The Citadel at the plate.

Jackson and the Citadel will face top-seeded Western Carolina today at 5 p.m.