April 30, 2010

Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. - The fourth-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (37-6, 15-0 Big South) won its 25th-straight Big South game with an 18-2 victory over UNC Asheville (12-27, 5-14 Big South) April 30, The Chanticleers end the month of April with a 17-1 record.

UNC Asheville struck first with two runs in the second. Mike Vaughn took a 1-0 pitch from sophomore Anthony Meo and deposited it over the wall in left field. The Bulldogs then scored an unearned run as Beau Zinman walked, Jordan Lurie reached on an error by junior Scott Woodward on a bunt attempt and Jacob Edwards reached on a fielder's choice as senior Adam Rice's throw to second hit Lurie, allowing Zinman to score.

Asheville's lead was short lived, however, as the Chants scored three in the third. Junior Rico Noel walked and moved to second on a sacrifice from Woodward. Noel stole third and scored on a single from senior Jose Iglesias. Coastal loaded the bases as redshirt-sophomore Tommy La Stella was hit by a pitch and senior Adam Rice walked. Sophomore Daniel Bowman lined out, but redshirt-senior Chance Gilmore walked in a run. Sophomore Taylor Motter did the same thing, getting the game-winning run-batted-in in the process. La Stella then had a sacrifice fly in the fourth that scored Noel, making it 4-2 Coastal.

Bowman hit his team-leading 10th home run of the season to lead off the fifth. Noel also had a home run in the inning, a two-run shot, that gave the Chants a 7-2 lead. Coastal exploded for five runs in the sixth as Gilmore reached on his second bases-loaded walk and Motter hit a sacrifice fly to center to score La Stella. Redshirt-sophomore Tucker Frawley had the big blow, a three-run home run to left to make it 12-2.

Coastal finished the scoring with six runs in the eighth. Sophomore Steve Davis tripled to lead off the inning. He scored on a Motter fielder's choice that junior Hayes Orton beat out at second. Orton scored as redshirt-sophomore Josh Keener's fly to right was dropped by Edwards. Junior Luke Schlechte grounded out to second to bring home Motter. Redshirt-junior Keith Hardwick scored a pair with a single to right and redshirt-sophomore Rich Witten scored freshman Josh Conway with a single to right.

Meo picked up his ninth win of the season, allowing four hits and an earned run with four strikeouts in six innings of work. Junior Matt Rein gave up a hit in two innings and redshirt-freshman Jackson Geary pitched a scoreless ninth. David Ricker was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs and three hits in three innings of work.

Bowman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Motter and Frawley had three RBI's apiece. For UNC Asheville, Justin Schumer had two hits.

Coastal and UNC Asheville will continue the three-game set Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m.