March 17, 2012

Final Stats

CONWAY - After beating Connecticut, 6-2, early Saturday afternoon, Coastal Carolina matched the score to defeat Michigan, 6-2, Saturday evening at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field. The Chants, winners of five straight, improve to 12-6, while Michigan falls to 8-11.

Coastal Carolina will conclude the weekend's festivities, hosting UAB at 1 pm Sunday. Michigan and Connecticut will square off Sunday at 11 am in Myrtle Beach.

Tucker Frawley led the Chanticleer offense by going 4-for-5 and he made one of the most important plays for CCU defensively in the second inning. With the game tied and runners on second and third with one out, Frawley picked off the runner at third before CCU starter Ben Smith induced a ground out to end the threat. Frawley has picked off three base runners this season and has thrown out 12 of 21 base stealers, throwing out six of his last seven.

After allowing the two runs, CCU pitchers would shut down the Wolverines, allowing no runs and three hits. Smith would not factor in the decision for the fourth straight start despite pitching a career-high 5.2 innings. Patrick Corbett (1-1) earned his first career win, pitching a scoreless inning while walking one and striking out one. Austin Kerr entered the game in the seventh with two on and two out, but an error extended the inning. Aaron Burke came out of the Chanticleer bullpen and got a strikeout to end the seventh. He would pitch the final 2.1 innings, allowing a hit and striking out three, to earn his second save.

Coastal Carolina's first five batters reached safely in the first inning. However, Jacob May would be thrown out at third on a hit-and-run single by Justin Creel. The Chants would go on to load the bases thanks to two hit batters. Alex Buccilli's slow roller to short would go down as an RBI single, giving CCU a 1-0 lead. A wild pitch plated Rich Witten, putting the Chants up 2-0, and chased Michigan starter Kolby Wood.

Michigan answered back with two runs in the second. With one out, Coley Crank reached on an infield single and moved to third on a double by Brett Winger. John Lorenz brought home Crank with an infield single, putting runners on the corners. Dylan Delaney followed with an RBI double to left-center field. The damage was limited thanks to Frawley.

Coastal regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Brian Pruett had a leadoff hit and moved to third on May's single to center. After May was thrown out stealing second and Creel walked, Witten's fly out to right field was deep enough to score Pruett, giving Coastal a 3-2 lead.

The Chants tacked on three runs in the bottom of the seventh to go up 6-2. Tucker Frawley singled then Sloan Gilliam and Ted Blackman walked to load the bases. Pruett drew the Chants' third straight walk to force home Frawley. May kept the bases loaded with an RBI single to right field. After a ground out, Witten drove in Pruett with an RBI ground out to provide the 6-2 final.

Alex Lakatos (0-2) suffered the loss. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits, one run, two walks and struck out four.