CONWAY, S.C. – The 15th-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (20-3) won its eighth straight game and 20th on the season in a 6-3 win over Elon (12-11) March 20 in Conway, S.C. Coastal broke a 3-3 tie with a three-run sixth to defeat the Phoenix for the second time on the year.

Coastal broke through in the second with two runs. Junior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) singled with one out and stole second. With two outs, junior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell) brought Baldridge home with a double down the left field line. He scored on a single off the wall by sophomore Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor). Coastal added a run in the fourth with the help of three Elon errors. Sophomore David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) reached on an error by shortstop Chase Austin to open the inning. Baldridge hit a grounder that looked to start a double play, but the ball went under the glove of Matt Hill. Pat Irvine then had trouble in the outfield fielding the grounder, allowing Anderson to score. Elon would get out of further trouble by retiring the next three Chanticleers.

Freshman Nick McCully (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) retired the first 12 Phoenix, but ran into trouble in the fifth. Chris Vasami doubled to open the frame. McCully retired the next two batters, including a diving grab by Baldridge to rob Irvine of a hit, but Ryan Addison took McCully’s first pitch over the left field wall to make it 3-2 Coastal. Austin doubled on the next pitch and scored on a Hill single to tie the game.

In the sixth, the Chants put runners on first and second with one out as senior Matt Rademacher (Bay City, Mich./Michigan) walked and Martin singled. Both runners moved up on a balk by Brian Ebert and Rademacher scored on an infield single from Bortnick. Senior Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) brought in Martin on a sacrifice fly and sophomore David Sappelt tripled to right center, bringing in Bortnick. Coastal would shutout the Phoenix the rest of the way for the eighth straight win.

Junior Dustin Koca (Papillion, Neb./Butler County C.C.) earned the win in relief, pitching two scoreless innings and allowing only one hit. McCully went the first five innings, striking out four and allowing five hits and three runs. The bullpen of Koca, senior Travis Risser (Palmyra, Pa./James Madison) and Anderson allowed only two hits and struck out a pair. Anderson earned his third save of the season by pitching a scorless ninth.

The loss fell to Ebert, who gave up three runs and four hits in 1.2 innings. Elon started J.D. Reichenbach, who gave up three hits and two runs in two innings.

Coastal had four players with two hits apiece (Sappelt, Baldridge, Martin and Bortnick). Bortnick drove in a pair of runs while Martin scored twice. For Elon, Austin had a pair of hits, while Addison drove in two.

Coastal will now start Big South play Friday, March 23 against Radford at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field. The game will start at 6 p.m.