No. 10 Chants Drop Series Opener 4-2 on Friday Night

Friday, March 29

Conway, S.C.

6:00 PM

Coastal Carolina University

19-7-1, 5-2

Arkansas State

18-8, 6-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Arkansas State	0	0	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	8	0
Coastal Carolina	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	9	2

3/29/2019 10:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Coastal Carolina baseball was held to a season-low two runs in the loss

Conway, S.C. – No. 10 Coastal Carolina was held to a season-low two runs on Friday night, as the Arkansas State Red Wolves defeated the Chanticleers 4-2 in Sun Belt cross-divisional play at Springs Brooks Stadium.

The loss is the first home Friday night loss for the Chants this season who fall to 19-7-1 overall and 5-2 in conference play. With the win, the Red Wolves move to 18-8 overall and 6-1 in the Sun Belt.

Coastal had four players with two hits apiece on the night in Cory Wood (2-for-5), Kieton Rivers (2-for-4, 2B), Parker Chavers (2-for-4, run) and Kyle Skeels (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs, run), yet stranded nine runners on base in the defeat.

Sophomore starter Zach McCambley (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, as he allowed four runs on two home runs, six total hits and three walks while striking out seven A-State hitters in 5.0-plus innings on the mound.

Arkansas State used the long ball to pick up the win, as Kyle MacDonald (1-for-5, HR, 3 RBIs, run) and Alex Howard (1-for-2, RBI, 2 runs) each had a home run in the win.

The Red Wolves pitching tandem of Zach Jackson (4-1) and Jack Jumper (1) picked up the win and the save. Jackson allowed just one run on eight hits, one walk and six strikeouts over 7.0-complete innings to earn the win, while Jumper allowed one run on just one hit over the final 2.0 innings to pick up the save.

Coastal took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a Skeels RBI single up the middle to get the scoring going for the game.

However, the Red Wolves' MacDonald belted a three-run home run to left center field in the top of the third to put A-State in front for the first time in the game at 3-1.

The Chants loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth on a Rivers double, a Chavers single and a hit-by-pitch on Skeels, yet failed to get a run across as the next three batters went strikeout, strikeout and ground out to end the inning.

After getting out of the bases loaded jam, the Red Wolves added a run in the top of the fifth on a Howard solo home run to left field to push their lead out to three at 4-1 midway through the contest.

The CCU bullpen was able to keep the Chants in striking distance for the rest of the game, as Trevor Damron (2.1 IP, 1 hit, 2 BB) stranded two runners in the sixth on back-to-back ground outs and got a 5-4-3 double-play ball in the seventh to keep the score at 4-1.

In the eighth, Alaska Abney (0.2 IP, BB, K) left three A-State runners on base with a strikeout and pop up to first base to keep the home team within three at 4-1.

Coastal got one run back in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run to left field off the bat of Skeels to close the gap to two at 4-2 heading into the final inning of play.

Left-handed pitcher Dylan Gentry (1.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 K) struck out two in the top of the ninth to give the Chants a chance in the bottom half of the inning, only to see Jumper pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the ninth to close the door for the Red Wolves in the 4-2 win.

The Chants struck out 10 A-State batters for the game, the 14th time this season that the pitching staff has recorded double-digits punch-outs in a game.

Coastal (19-7-1, 5-2 Sun Belt) and A-State (18-8, 6-1 Sun Belt) will return to Springs Brooks Stadium tomorrow, Saturday, March 30, for game two of the three-game series at 2 p.m. ET.

For complete coverage of CCU baseball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBaseball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.