Box Score Baseball Opens Season with 10-4 Win over Maryland

More Information:    

The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (1-0) opened its 2008 schedule with a 10-4 win over Maryland in front of 1,079 fans at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field in game two of the IMICHotels.com INN-vitational Feb. 23. The Chanticleers received four runs-batted-in from junior David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Southern Alamance), while freshman Scott Woodward (Markle, Ind./Norwell), junior Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) and classmate David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) had three hits apiece.   Coastal got out of jams unscathed in three of the first four innings. In the first, Sappelt made a diving grab in center field off a Will Greenburg liner, and then doubled up AJ Casario to keep the Terrapins off the scoreboard. Maryland left two runners on base in the second and the fourth, while Coastal struck first in the bottom of the fourth.  Anderson doubled to lead off the inning. He would score on a single from junior Dock Doyle (Conway, S.C./Conway). Coastal added a run in the fifth as Anderson brought home Woodward with a single through the left side.   Maryland would get on the scoreboard in the sixth. Chad Durakis was hit by a pitch and went to third on a double from Greenburg. Jensen Pupa walked to load the bases. Senior Joey Haug (Holt, Mo./Maple Woods C.C.) was brought in and while giving up a run on a single from Gerry Spessard, struck out two and got a fly out to Joe Palumbo to end a further threat.   Bortnick doubled to left to open the bottom of the sixth and went to third on a balk. Sophomore Chance Gilmore (Surfside Beach, S.C./Virginia) then looked to pop out to short, but a tough combination of gusty winds and the setting sun gave Gilmore life with an infield single. Sophomore Ricky Grice (Lexington, S.C./Lexington) walked to load the bases, setting up Sappelt’s grand slam, a laser shot to left. It was Sappelt’s third career grand slam and second at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field.    Maryland cut the lead to 6-3 in the eighth on a two-run single from Palumbo, but Coastal came back with four in the bottom of the inning. Sappelt doubled, while Woodward and Anderson walked. Doyle drove in his second and third runs of the day with a double to left. Anderson would score on a wild pitch and Doyle came in on a single from senior Derek Martin (Barnwell, S.C./Barnwell). Durakis hit a home run for Maryland in the ninth, but the Terps would get no closer as Coastal improved to 1-0 on the year.   Gagg pitched five-plus innings, allowing five hits and one run with three strikeouts. Haug struck out three, while freshman Cody Wheeler (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) had two punchouts. The loss went to Scott Swinson, who gave up five runs and 10 hits in 5.1 innings.   Six Chanticleers had two or more hits, while Woodward stole three bases on the day.   In other action in the tournament, Virginia Tech defeated Pittsburgh 7-3 and Maryland beat the Panthers 10-5.   Coastal will play twice on Sunday, facing Maryland at 1:30 p.m., and Virginia Tech at 5 p.m.