In a game that featured two lightning delays, a triple play, seven errors, an eight-run eighth and 26 runs, the 23rd ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (9-2) raced out to a 15-3 lead only to hold on to a 15-11 victory over Kent State University (3-5) March 5 in game four of the Springmaid Beach Resort Rumble in Conway, S.C.

The game started 2:27 behind schedule after lightning in the Conway area. Kent State wasted no time getting on the board in the first. Joe Tucker walked, moved to second on a groundout, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Kurt Eichorn double. Drew Saylor also scored on the double after freshman Dock Doyle (Conway, S.C./Conway) dropped the relay thorw. Eichorn came across after a Will Vazquez single.

Coastal earned two back in the bottom of the first on junior Michael DeJesus’ (Manapalan, N.J./East Carolina) third home run of the season, which also brought home senior Chris Todd (Seattle, Wash./Bellevue C.C.). In the third, the Chanticleers added three more runs. Junior Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) drove in senior Jon Foisy (Ridgecrest, Calif./Cerro Coso C.C.) on a double and then came home on a Todd single. With the bases loaded, Costanzo drove in junior Kevin Entsminger (Canton, Mich./College of the Siskiyous) as he was hit by a pitch.

Doyle’s RBI groundout in the fourth gave CCU a 6-3 lead and the Chants added on in the fifth. Entsminger singled and stole second. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a double from Costanzo. After a 16-minute lightning delay, sophomore Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) drove in DeJesus on a groundout. Foisy had a big two RBI single to center, giving CCU a 10-3 lead.

Coastal scored five in the sixth which featured RBI’s from Costanzo, Raber, Foisy and two from DeJesus. Coastal had a 15-3 lead, but had trouble getting out of the eighth. Saylor started the inning by reaching on an error. He moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a double from Andy Hargrove. Eichorn scored on a wild pitch on a third strike from Todd Balduf. Hargrove scored on a fielding error and with the bases loaded, Andrew Davis walked to bring in Greg Rohan. Emmanuel Burriss scored on a wild pitch and Joe Tucker came around on an RBI groundout from Saylor. When Eichorn singled to drive in Davis, the Golden Flashes had managed to put eight runs up on the board and had the tying run on deck. Senior Byron Binda (Stafford, Va./North Stafford) then came in and walked Hargrove, but got pinch hitter Gregg Hiller to strike out swinging to end the inning.

The game would get crazier in the bottom of the eighth. With two on and no one out, junior Adam Pernasilici (Tecumseh, Ontario/St. Anne’s) laid down a bunt amd Phil Bojc made a diving grab from the mound. With the runners going, the Golden Flashes got both runners out and executed a triple play to get out of the inning.

Binda came back in the ninth and struck out the side to earn his first save of the season.

Junior Mike Valter (Bloomingdale, N.J./Briarcliffe C.C.) earned his first career win at Coastal, pitching six innings of relief, striking out three and giving up only two hits. The loss fell to Jason Brunke, who gave up five runs in 2.2 innings. Binda struck out four in 1.1 innings to earn the save.

Earlier in the day, Western Carolina defeated James Madison 4-3.

Coastal will wrap up the Springmaid Beach Resort Rumble Sunday, March 6, when the Chants host Western Carolina at 3 p.m.