CONWAY, S.C. – On the third and final day of Baseball at the Beach presented by VisitMyrtleBeach.com, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers fell to the VCU Rams 4-2 to finish Opening Weekend at 2-1 overall.
Coastal, who defeated Fairfield on Friday and Middle Tennessee on Saturday, struggled to score runs on Sunday, plating just one run in the first and ninth innings, respectively, in the 4-2 home loss.
The CCU pitching staff again had a strong outing, as five pitchers combined to hold VCU to four runs on nine hits while striking out 11 hitters and walking just three.
The loss fell to Friday night's winner in
Will Smith (1-1), as the reliever gave up one run on two hits over 1.0 inning out of the bullpen.
Transfer
Alex Edmondson got the start on the mound for the Chants and went 2.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits, one walk, and one strikeout, while
Levi Huesman (2.0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 hits, BB, 4 K),
Darin Horn (1.0 IP, BB, 3K),
Jack Billings (2.0 IP, 2 K), and
Teddy Sharkey (1.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 K) combined to strikeout 10 batters over the final six innings of play.
The offense was led by a two-hit night by
Caden Bodine (2-for-5) and one hit apiece from
Blake Barthol (1-for-2, 3B, 2 BB, run),
Chad Born (1-for-5, run),
Payton Eeles (1-for-4, SB), and
Tanner Garrison (1-for-3, HBP), while
Nick Lucky (0-for-3, BB, HBP, RBI, SB) had the lone RBI for the Chants.
VCU reliever Zachary Peters (1-0) earned his first collegiate win, as he fired off 4.2-scoreless innings out of the bullpen, while Brendan Erka (1) picked up the save by getting three outs in the ninth.
The Rams' offense had seven different players record at least one hit on the night, highlighted by a home run from Logan Amiss (1-for-4, HR, BB, RBI, run) and a two-run single from Brandon Elke (1-for-4, 2 RBIs).
The Chants used a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases in the bottom of the first inning before Born was able to race home on a wild pitch to put the home team on top 1-0 early.
VCU quickly tied up the score in the top of the second with a lead-off solo home run off the foul pole down the right-field line by Amiss and then took a one-run lead the next at-bat on a double from AJ Mathis and an RBI single from Harrison Long after the first three innings of play.
The Chants left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth and stranded a combined three runners on base over the fifth and sixth innings, while VCU tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth on a two-out, two-run single up the middle by Elke to push the visitors in front at 4-1.
The Coastal bullpen pitched around an error and a walk in the sixth, a hit batsman in the eighth, and a double in the ninth to keep the Chants within striking distance heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Down three, Barthol led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple to left field, his second of the season.
CCU was able to plate Barthol on an RBI ground out to put the final score at 4-2.
Coastal will return to Springs Brooks Stadium to host nationally-ranked NC State (3-0) on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 4 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.
