Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader with VMI

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     The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (22-24, 9-9 Big South) swept a Big South Conference doubleheader with the Virginia Military Institute (27-21, 7-14 Big South), winning the opener 6-4 in 10 innings and 2-0 in the nightcap.  Junior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) and classmate Matt Sutton (La Grange, N.C./UNC Wilmington) hit back-to-back home runs in the 10^th, part of a three-run inning, to win the first game.  Freshman Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill) threw a complete-game three-hitter in game two for Coastal’s third shutout of the season.   Sophomore Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) led off the top of the second of game one with a home run to straightaway center field, his second of the season.  VMI answered in the bottom of the frame, tying the game at one.  Chad Rice led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a groundout by Jacoby Fields.  Michael Roberts put runners on the corners with a single to right and A.J. Yoder brought Rice in with another groundout to second.   In the third, freshman Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) led off the inning with a single.  He advanced on a wild pitch by VMI starter J.J. Hollenbeck.  After junior Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) walked, Vrable moved both runners over on his 15^th sacrifice of the season.  Sutton scored Bortnick on a ground out and classmate John Mariotti (Toronto, Ontario/Gulf Coast C.C.) brought in Raber with a opposite field double.   Robert Crumpler led off the fourth inning with a home run over the scoreboard in left field.  Fields doubled with one out, but junior Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) struck out Roberts and sophomore Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) made a great play on a Yoder foul ball to end the threat and keep it 3-2 Chants.  VMI looked to have added a run in the fifth, but freshman David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) robbed Crumpler of extra bases on a diving grab in center.   VMI did tie the game in the sixth.  Rice opened with a single and moved to second on a Fields sacrifice.  Roberts walked and Yoder loaded the bases with a single to center field.  Junior Travis Risser (Palmyra, Pa./James Madison) came in and Geisslinger brought in a run on a fielder’s choice.  Risser did get Klint Reed to fly out with the bases loaded to keep it a tie game.   The game was scoreless until the 10^th when Vrable deposited the 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field for his first career home run at Coastal.  Sutton then drilled his 11^th home run to right center to give Coastal a 5-3 lead.  VMI reliever John Phelps walked the next two batters and both runners moved up on a sacrifice by Sappelt.  Martin drove in Mariotti on a ground out to first.
VMI scored a run in the bottom of the 10^th on an RBI single by Yoder, but Risser got pinch hitter Will Smith to fly out to end the game.   Risser went the final 4.2 innings to pick up his third win of the season.  He allowed three hits, one run, one walk and struck out one.  DeLaGarza went the first 5.1 innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out five.   Ian Casher took the loss in relief, falling to 2-1 on the year.  J.J. Hollenbeck went the first eight innings, allowing three runs and six hits with three strikeouts.   Baldridge was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, while Bortnick added two hits.  For VMI, Fields and Yoder had two hits apiece.   Gagg was the story in game two, facing just two Keydets over the minimum in recording his second complete game in as many starts.  He gave up only two hits with three strikeouts and did not walk a batter.    Game two started on a positive note for the Chants.  Vrable doubled to start the frame.  He moved to second on a sacrifice by senior DJ Burns (Lynn, Mass./Chandler Gilbert J.C.).  Sappelt walked to put runners on the corners and promptly stole second.  Junior Brant Peacher (Milton, Fla./Florida State) singled to right to score Vrable, but Sappelt was thrown out at the plate by Reed.   Bortnick started the third with a double to left.  He moved up on a Vrable sacrifice bunt.  Burns grounded back to the pitcher and it looked like the Keydets had Bortnick in a rundown, but Kelly Sweppenhiser’s throw hit Bortnick’s helmet and ricocheted to the backstop, giving the Chants a 2-0 lead they would never relinquish.   Coastal had only four hits on the game, with Vrable, Bortnick and freshman David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) recording doubles.    VMI’s Travis Smink also went the distance, giving up four hits and two earned runs while striking out four.   Coastal heads to Greenville, N.C., to face East Carolina University Wednesday, May 10 at 7 p.m.  The game will be webcast on www.GoCCUSports.com.