Box Score Baseball Defeats Georgia Southern 7-4

More Information:    

The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (11-15) scored three runs in the first two innings and used the long ball in the ninth to defeat Georgia Southern University (13-14) 7-4 March 29 in Statesboro, Ga.   Coastal scored a run in the first with the help of two Eagle errors.  Junior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) led off the inning with a walk.  He was sacrificed by freshman David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) but a throwing error by pitcher Andrew Berroth put Chanticleers on second and third.  Junior Brant Peacher (Milton, Fla./Florida State) hit a grounder to third that Brett Pelfrey mishandled on the transfer, making Peacher safe and scoring Raber.   In the second, sophomore Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) lined his first home run of the season over the left field fence, making it 2-0.  After a walk and a stolen base by junior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.), Raber plated him with a double over the right fielder’s head.   Georgia Southern cut the lead to 3-1 on Greg Dowling’s third home run of the season, but Coastal came right back in the top of the fifth.  Peacher walked with one out and moved to third on a single from freshman David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll).  Peacher scored on a single to right from senior Mike Fuentes (Miami, Fla./North Florida C.C.).  Anderson came across on a fielder’s choice from junior Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll), making it 5-1 Coastal.   Georgia Southern scored twice in the sixth.  Chris Shehan doubled to center to start the inning.  Dowling singled to put runners on the corners and Jeremiah Parker doubled in Shehan to make it 5-3.  A groundout by Griffin Benedict plated Dowling, but junior Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) struck out Mike Economos and got David Richardson to fly out to end the threat.   Georgia Southern had the leadoff hitter on second in the seventh, but junior John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) came in and struck out Brian Pierce and Matt Miller and got Shehan to line out to end the inning.   Georgia Southern got one back in the eighth.  After a great play by senior Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) got Shehan out, Parker walked and Benedict doubled.  Parker scored on a sacrifice fly from Economos, cutting the Chant lead to 5-4.  Pelfrey fouled out to end the inning.   Coastal added insurance in the ninth.  With two outs, Peacher walked and quickly scored on a two run home run by Mariotti to straightaway center field.   DeLaGarza earned the win, pitching six-plus innings, striking out three and giving up three earned runs.  Mariotti earned his second save of the season, pitching the final three innings with three strikeouts, two hits and one earned run.  The loss fell to Berroth, who pitched the first 4.1 innings, striking out three and allowing three hits and three earned runs.   Anderson and Fuentes had two hits apiece for the Chanticleers, while Mariotti drove in a pair.  Dowling was 4-for-5 for GSU while Benedict had two hits.   Coastal will face Wake Forest Tuesday, April 4 at 3 p.m., in Winston-Salem, N.C.