GREENVILLE, S.C. (Interstat) — Michael Gibson went 5-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, and Phillips Daniels drove in five runs as the Citadel Bulldogs pounded the Virginia Military Institute Keydets 21-11 in a Southern Conference baseball game Wednesday evening at Fluor Field at the West End.

Gibson, serving as designated hitter and later pitching a third of an inning, led a 24-hit outburst that propelled Citadel to 31-24 overall. VMI fell to 28-27. The game was the fourth consecutive head-to-head victory for the Bulldogs, who had swept a three-game series at VMI the previous weekend.

The Keydets opened the scoring in the top of the first on a walk and a bunt single, but a double play ended the inning. Citadel answered immediately in the bottom half. TJ Anderson doubled in a run, Gibson doubled in Anderson, Zach Hunt singled in Gibson and a catcher’s interference allowed an unearned run to make it 4-0.

VMI cut the lead to 6-1 in the third on a sacrifice fly, but Sam Dansky homered in the bottom of the third to push the margin to 7-1. The Keydets chipped away in the fourth. Seth Buchanan doubled in two runs and a groundout by Michael Cardone scored another, trimming the deficit to 7-4.

The visitors tied the game in the fifth. After a walk, Joe Fitzwater tripled in a run and Charlie Raile singled to center to make it 7-6. Raile stole second and scored on a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by first baseman Hunt, knotting the score at 7-7.

Citadel regained control in the bottom of the fifth when a bunt error scored a run, and the Bulldogs led 8-7. They broke it open in the sixth. Gibson singled, Hunt crushed a two-run homer to left-center, his ninth of the season, and Daniels followed with a two-run single. Will added an RBI single, and the lead swelled to 13-7.

VMI refused to fold. In the seventh, Fitzwater singled, Andrew Schnarrs was hit by a pitch and Gabe Jenkins hit an inside-the-park home run to center field, his first of the year, scoring three runs and cutting the margin to 13-10. Citadel answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half to make it 14-10.

The Keydets got one back in the eighth on a sacrifice fly, closing to 14-11. But the Bulldogs erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away. Anderson singled in a run, Gibson singled for an RBI, and McKinnon Lively singled in another. With the bases loaded, Daniels doubled to deep center field, clearing the bases with three RBIs. Will capped the rally with an RBI single, making the score 21-11.

Gibson’s perfect night at the plate included his fifth home run of the season. Daniels finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs. For VMI, Jenkins went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Buchanan was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Hunt drove in three runs for Citadel, while Anderson and Dansky each had three hits and two RBIs and one RBI, respectively.

On the mound, Citadel’s Gibson pitched a third of an inning, striking out one. VMI reliever Buddy Baker threw 1 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run on no hits with one strikeout. Hunter Sipe tossed three innings for the Keydets, giving up three earned runs on no hits while striking out three.

The game featured 36 total hits, 12 by VMI and 24 by Citadel, along with several errors and defensive miscues that contributed to the high-scoring affair.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Citadel 7, VMI 1, and its ELO system gave the Bulldogs a 60.80 percent probability to win.