Box Score Baseball Opens Series at Charleston Southern with 14-7 Win

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N. CHARLESTON, S.C. – Fueled by a seven-run second inning, the 21^st-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (26-7, 5-2 Big South) defeated Charleston Southern (12-19, 2-5 Big South) 14-7 April 11 in Charleston, S.C. Coastal had 14 hits on the day and received a strong outing on the mound from junior Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill)   Gagg escaped trouble in the first. Mark Perry led off with an infield single. He moved to second on a bunt single from Kory Morian. Gagg would then strike out Steve Antolik and Derek Smith. With two outs, Nick Chinners hit a ball in the gap in right field that senior Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) dove for and made a great chance to end the threat.   Coastal used the momentum of the Baldridge catch and scored seven runs in the top of the second. Sophomore Jose Iglesias (Miami, Fla./St. John’s) went up the middle with a single with one out. He moved to second on a single from Baldridge. Junior Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) would then hit a fly to left that Antolik would get to but drop, loading the bases. Freshman Rico Noel (Lawton, Okla./Lawton) grounded to first to score Iglesias, making it 1-0 Coastal. Baldridge would score the second run on a wild pitch from Andrew White. Junior David Sappelt (Graham, N.C./Southern Alamance) singled to score Bortnick, making it 3-0. Freshman Scott Woodward (Markle, Ind./Norwell) singled up the middle and a Tom Burkett error put runners on second and third. Sophomore Adam Rice (Murphy, Texas/Elgin C.C.) walked to load the bases and junior Dock Doyle (Conway, S.C./Conway) quickly unloaded them with a grand slam to right center, giving Coastal a 7-0 cushion. It was Doyle’s ninth home run of the year and Coastal’s first grand slam since Sappelt did the trick Feb. 23 against Maryland.   Sappelt gave Coastal a 9-0 lead in the fifth as he belted his seventh home run of the season. Sappelt brought home Bortnick, who singled with one out in the inning. Morian broke up the shutout in the sixth, belting his first career home run to cut the Coastal lead to 9-2.   Coastal scored four runs thanks to three hit-by-pitches in the seventh. Noel led off the inning with a walk. He went to third on a single by Sappelt.  CSU reliever Stew Brase then hit Woodward, Rice and freshman Evan Noell (Salem, Va./Glenvar) scoring two of the runs. Woodward was hit for the third time in the game and he would score on a sacrifice fly from junior David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll). Rice came home on single through the right side by sophomore Chance Gilmore (Surfside Beach, S.C./Virginia).   Coastal added a run in the eighth as freshman Dustin King (Myrtle Beach, S.C./Carolina Forest) hit a grounder to short that Perry tried to barehand but missed, scoring freshman Cody Wheeler (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania). Michael Obuchowski got two runs back for the Buccaneers in the eighth as he doubled to left, scoring Will Rodriguez and Morian. The Bucs scored three runs in the ninth as Rodriguez’s double brought in a pair of runs and Morian brought in a run with a single, but sophomore Jeremiah Meiners (Silver Spring, Md./St. Albans) struck out the side to end the game.   Gagg improved to 5-1 on the year, giving up five hits and two run in six innings. He struck out four Bucs and did not walk a batter. White was tagged with the loss, giving up just two earned runs, but allowing nine hits and three walks in 4.2 innings.   Sappelt and Iglesias had three hits apiece for Coastal, while Doyle drove in four runs. For Charleston Southern, Morian was 3-for-4 with three RBI.   Coastal and Charleston Southern will end the series with a doubleheader Saturday, April 12 starting at 11 a.m.