MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers ran out to a 4-0 lead but had their bats fall silent over the final five innings of play to allow the West Virginia Mountaineers to come-from-behind and escape with a 5-4 win on Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.
 
The loss drops the Chants to 11-6 overall while the Mountaineers improved to 8-6 on the season with the win. The loss snaps CCU's winning streak over WVU at four-straight games.
 
The Coastal offense only struck out six times and drew six walks, but had all eight of its base hits come in the first four innings of play. CCU also left 12 runners on base in the loss.
 
CCU's Eric Brown (1-for-4, HR, BB, 2 RBIs, run, SB) extended his hitting streak to 14-straight straight games with a two-run home run in the first inning while Cooper Weiss (1-for-5, HR, RBI, run) also hit a home run in the loss. BT Riopelle (1-of-4, BB, SB) hit safely to push his hitting streak out to seven-straight games, while the other three hits came by way of Nick Lucky (2-for-4, HBP, run) and Billy Underwood (1-for-1, BB, run, SB).
 
Starting pitcher Nick Parker did not factor in the decision despite recording a quality start. The junior hurler allowed just two runs on six hits, two walks, and two strikeouts over 6.0-complete innings.
 
The loss went to freshman Teddy Sharkey (0-1), as the reliever gave up three runs on one hit and two walks in the seventh inning.
 
WVU's offense scored five runs on only seven hits but took advantage of a key CCU throwing error and four walks.
 
Lead-off hitter Victor Scott (2-for-3, BB, run, SB) and designated hitter McGwire Holbrook (2-for-3, run) each had a team-high two base hits and scored one run, while first baseman Hudson Byorick (0-for-4, 2 RBIs) drove in two RBIs without even getting a base hit.
 
The Chants drove starter Jake Carr out of the game in the second inning, however, the WVU bullpen used six arms to hold CCU to just one run on three hits over the final seven innings with Ben Abernathy (1-0) earning the win and Madison Jeffrey (2) picking up the save.
 
Coastal took a 2-0 lead two batters into the game as Lucky led off the game with a single to left field and then trotted around the bases on a two-run home run off the bat of Brown. The home run was the sixth of the season for the sophomore shortstop.
 
After Parker pitched around an error and a two-out single in the bottom of the first, the Chants added to their lead in the top of the second on an RBI single by center fielder Parker Chavers.
 
CCU continued to add to its lead in the top of the third, as Weiss hit a solo home run, his second of the season, to push the visitor's lead out to 4-0 midway through the third inning.
 
The Mountaineers were able to push across one run in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings on an RBI single by Braden Barry in the fourth and an RBI ground out from Byorick in the fifth to cut the CCU lead in half at 4-2.
 
Chavers' lead-off single in the fourth would be the Chants' last hit of the game, as the WVU bullpen would allow just three runners on base from the fifth inning on, all by base on balls.
 
While the Chants' bats fell cold, the Mountaineers heated up as the home team got to the CCU bullpen and took advantage of a lead-off single and back-to-back walks off of Sharkey to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Trying to get out of the jam, the Chants went to closer Alaska Abney.
 
With the bases loaded, Abney induced a ground ball to third base where the throw was up the line and the runner knocked off the glove of Tyler Johnson at first base which allowed two Mountaineers to score and tie the game up at 4-4.
 
Abney then got a tailor-made double-play ground ball up the middle to get two outs, however, the runner from third was able to score on the play to give the home team the 5-4 lead.
 
Coastal was able to get a runner on second by way of a walk and stolen base and both the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't push across the tying run in the one-run defeat.
 
The rubber match between the Chanticleers and Mountaineers is slated for Sunday, March 21, at noon 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.