CONWAY, S.C. – Freshman Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) singled to score junior Josh Eachues (Newberry, S.C./Newberry) in the ninth inning as the Coastal Carolina University baseball team (6-12, 1-0 Big South) defeated High Point University (7-17, 0-1 Big South) 5-4 in wild, come-from-behind fashion March 17 in Conway, S.C. It was the Big South opener for both teams.

The ninth inning heroics were preceded by a wild eighth inning. With one out, junior Brant Peacher (Milton, Fla./Florida State) singled. He moved to second on a walk to junior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.). A fielder’s choice by sophomore Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) put runners on the corners with two outs. Senior Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) then singled to score Peacher. High Point right fielder Mark Shorey mishandled the single, then threw the ball away, scoring Baldridge and tying the game at three. Senior DJ Burns (Lynn, Mass./Chandler Gilbert J.C.) singled in Verrett, giving CCU a 4-3 lead.

High Point tied the game at four in the top of the ninth. A walk to Randy Schwartz opened the inning. He went to second on a bunt single from Alfie Wheeler. After a sacrifice, Ryan Laboy grounded out to score pinch runner Matt Christie.

With one out in the ninth, Eachues walked. He moved to second on a wild pitch. Peacher then grounded to third, but a wild throw put runners on second and third. That set up Bortnick’s two-out base hit, which came in his first collegiate at-bat.

The game was a pitcher’s dual in the first five innings until High Point broke through with two runs in the sixth. J. Williams singled with two outs. After an infield single put runners on first and second, Billy Aguiar cleared them with a double down the left field line.

In the seventh, pinch hitter Jon Pavlack walked with the bases loaded to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. Coastal got that run back in the seventh. Senior Mike Fuentes (Miami, Fla./North Florida C.C.) singled and moved to second on an error. Pinch hitter Matt Sutton (La Grange, N.C./UNC Wilmington) then singled up the middle to score Fuentes.

Mariotti earned the win, going an inning of relief with one hit and one strikeout. Senior Mike Valter (Bloomingdale, N.J./Briarcliffe C.C.) had another solid start, going 6.1 innings with six hits, three strikeouts and three earned runs. The loss was charged to Brandon Moore, who gave up the run in the ninth. Eammon Portice pitched 7.2 innings, striking out seven and allowing only two earned runs.

Verrett and junior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) had two hits apiece for Coastal. For High Point, Chris Marks had two hits and Aguiar drove in a pair.

Coastal and High Point will meet Saturday, March 18, at 2 p.m. in the second game of the three-game series.

NOTES: Coastal now has won eight straight games over High Point and lead the season series 23-3... Peacher extended his hitting streak to 11 games... Mariotti has won Coastal’s last two games on the mound... Coastal is now 2-1 in games in which it goes errorless.