CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina baseball team finished the Carolinas Coastline Classic going 4-0 on the weekend after a 9-6 win over Ball State on Monday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The Chanticleers moved to 7-1 overall and extended their winning streak to five consecutive games.
Coastal again used a big inning in the win, scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead and not look back.
The offense had just five hits one each from
Austin White (1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 RBIs, run, SB),
Dale Thomas (1-for-5, 3B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs),
Eric Brown (1-for-4, 2B, RBI),
Tyler Johnson (1-for-2, BB, run), and
Cooper Weiss (1-for-2, run), while
Matt McDermott (0-for-2, 2 BB, RBI, run) chipped in with an RBI.
Ball State mustered up six hits with four of those base knocks coming from the first four hitters in the lineup. Designated hitter Trenton Quartermaine (2-for-4, HR, BB, 2 RBIs, run) had a solo home run and drove in two RBIs, while outfielder Nick Powell (1-for-5, 3 RBIs) had a bases-loaded, three-run single.
Picking up the win out of the bullpen for the second time this season was sophomore
Matt Joyce (2-0), as he entered the game in the fifth inning and pitched 0.2 innings, giving up one hit, while walking one and striking out another.
Joyce was one of five pitchers to take the mound in relief, as the bullpen gave up just one run on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts over 4.2 innings of work.
Jack Billings (2) picked up his second save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth.
On the flip side, the loss went to Ball State's bullpen and Sam Klein (0-1), as the righty gave up three runs on two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts over 2.2 innings of work.
The Chanticleers scored seven runs versus the Cardinals' seven relief pitchers.
Coastal again scored in the first inning, the fourth time this season, as the home team took advantage of a Ball State fielding error, a wild pitch, and a walk to set up Brown for an RBI-double down the left-field line to put the men in teal in front 1-0 early.
On the ensuing batter,
Nick Lucky would race home and slide under the tag on a wild pitch to give the home team a 2-0 lead after just one inning of play.
After starter
Elliot Carney, who finished with eight strikeouts over 4.1 innings, struck out the side in the top of the second, the Cardinals offense got through to him in the top of the third, taking advantage of a walk, a single, a balk, and another walk to load the bases with one out.
With the bases loaded, Powell lined a sharp ground ball past the diving first baseman to score all three runners to put the visitors on top 3-2 midway through the third inning.
Down 3-2 in the fourth, the Chanticleers walked their way into the lead with a six-run inning that saw two bases-loaded walks and two wild pitches score a total of four runs in the inning. Thomas also highlighted the big inning with a two-run triple off the fence in right field to help push the Chants back in front at 8-3.
Ball State got two of those runs back in the top of the fifth, as a walk, throwing error, and a wild pitch on a swinging third strike allowed one run to score before the Cardinals' Quartermaine added an infield RBI-single to cut the Chants' lead to three at 8-5 midway through the fifth.
The Chants used "Gilley Ball" to push across an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning, as Johnson drew a lead-off walk. Pinch-runner
Billy Underwood was moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Weiss and then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
With two outs, White laced a single through the box and into center field to plate Underwood and extend the lead to 9-5 with four innings to play.
Coastal's arms did the rest, as outside of a solo home run and an infield single over the pitcher's head in the seventh inning, the bullpen did its job, stranding two in the seventh and pitching back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the eighth and ninth to seal the three-run win.
The two teams combined to leave 20 runners on base for the game, 11 for CCU and nine by Ball State.
Coastal (7-1) will hit the road for the first time this season as the Chanticleers will take on regional foe UNCW (5-2) Wednesday, March 2, at 4 p.m. ET in Wilmington, N.C.
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.
