Box Score Baseball Opens High Point Series with 18-3 Win

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HIGH POINT, N.C. – The 14^th-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (30-7, 10-2 Big South) had a fast start and benefited from 16 walks by High Point (14-19, 7-9 Big South) pitching in an 18-3 win over the Panthers April 17 in High Point, N.C. Coastal Carolina now has won 11 games in a row and has won 30 games in a season for the 12^th straight year.   Coastal Carolina came right out of the gates and scored seven runs in the first inning. Sophomore Rico Noel (Lawton, Okla./Lawton) led off the game with a home run to left field. High Point starter RJ Chlebnikow then walked senior Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) and senior David Anderson (Lexington, S.C./White Knoll) with one out. The Chants loaded the bases on a walk to junior Jose Iglesias (Miami, Fla./St. John’s). Redshirt sophomore Dustin King (Myrtle Beach, S.C./Carolina Forest) singled through the left side to make it 2-0 Chants. Freshman Taylor Motter (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens) reached on an error, scoring Anderson and making it 3-0 Coastal Carolina. Freshman Steve Davis (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville) reached on an infield single and Noel came back to drive in two with a single for a 6-0 Chanticleer lead. Junior Adam Rice (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Elgin C.C.) ended the scoring in the Coastal Carolina first with a Texas League double, scoring Davis.   Coastal Carolina used some two-out magic to score three runs in the third inning. Chlebnikow struck out Noel and Rice to start the inning, but would walk Bortnick and Anderson. Freshman Daniel Bowman (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) then took a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left field for his seventh home run of the season, making it 10-0 Chanticleers.   High Point scored two in the third inning as Kyle Mahoney walked with the bases loaded and Max Fulginiti grounded out to score Eric Marion. The Chants got out of the inning on a nice play from sophomore Cody Wheeler (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) on a bunt by Shane Andrews.   Bowman made it 12-2 Chanticleers in the top of the fifth as his two-run single scored Rice and Bortnick. Anderson brought in freshman Tommy Winegardner (St. Leonard, Md./Riverdale Baptist) and Davis with a two-out single in the sixth as Coastal Carolina led 14-2. It was Anderson’s 44^th and 45^th runs-batted-in of the season.   High Point scored a run in the bottom of the sixth as Jeff Cowan’s grounder to short brought in Marion, who singled to open the inning. Coastal Carolina would then score three runs without a hit in the seventh. Bortnick was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Davis. Redshirt freshman Rich Witten (Danville, Ky./Danville) then flew to right field. The ball was dropped by Shane Andrews, as Noel and Rice scored on the error. In the eighth, Noel’s sacrifice fly scored redshirt sophomore Evan Noell (Salem, Va./Glenvar) to make it 18-3 Chanticleers.   Bowman and Noel had five and four RBI, respectively, to lead the Chanticleers. Rice was 3-for-6, while Anderson, King and Davis had two hits apiece. For High Point, Marion and Bill Manion had two hits apiece.   Wheeler improved to 7-0 on the year, striking out four and giving up seven hits and three runs in six innings. The loss went to Chlebnikow. He gave up 12 hits and seven earned runs in five innings of work.   The two teams will meet Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m., to continue the three-game series.