HARRISONBURG, Va. – Behind 6.0-scoreless innings from starting pitcher
Matthew Potok and home runs from
Derek Bender and
Tanner Garrison, the Coastal Carolina baseball team defeated James Madison 3-1 on Sunday to record the Sun Belt Conference series win over the Dukes in Harrisonburg, Va.
With the win, the Chants moved to 12-6 overall and 2-1 in Sun Belt play. The loss dropped JMU to 12-9 overall and 1-2 in league action.
Junior reliever
Teddy Sharkey (2-0) picked up his second win of the season as he entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and held the Dukes to one run on four hits and four strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.
Despite not factoring in the decision, Potok had a strong outing and kept the Chants in the game as he held the Dukes to just two hits and one walk while striking out four hitters over 6.0-scoreless innings.
Like Potok, JMU's starting pitcher was solid on the mound for the Dukes, as Jack Cone kept the Coastal offense off the scoreboard, allowing three hits, one walk, and striking out six over 5.0-scoreless innings.
However, the Dukes' bullpen suffered the loss, particularly Lliam Grubbs (0-1), as the second JMU reliever allowed two runs on three hits, one walk, and one strikeout over the final 2.0 innings.
The Chants had just seven hits on the day, but none bigger than the two home runs from Bender (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run) and Garrison (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs, run). Bender hit his solo home run to break the scoreless tie in the sixth, while Garrison belted a line-drive shot over the wall in left field for two runs to put the Chants up 3-1 in the top of the ninth.
Super senior
Nick Lucky (2-for-3, 2B, IBB) continued his hot weekend at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double.
The Dukes had just six hits on the game, led by Jason Schiavone (1-for-3, HR, RBI, run) and his home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and a pair of doubles from the lead-off hitter and pitcher Cone (2-for-4, 2 2B).
Both teams left six runners on base and had just one two-out RBI apiece in the contest.
Making his fourth start of the season, Potok was superb from the start, as he threw a 1-2-3 first inning and pitched around a single and a walk in the second inning to keep the score at 0-0.
The next three innings would see the sophomore send the Dukes down in order in each frame and not allow a runner on base until the bottom of the sixth inning on a one-out double. However, the base hit did not phase the second-year Chant, as Potok got the next two hitters to fly out to Lucky in center field to keep the home team off the scoreboard.
CCU's offense, which struggled to get the big hit in the loss on Saturday, stranded one runner in both the first and third innings and two runners in the fourth frame before finally getting on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run off the bat of Bender, his team-leading sixth long ball of the season.
With a 1-0 lead, the Chants turned to Sharkey, who mowed down the Dukes with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
However, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, JMU's Schiavone hit a solo home run to left field to tie the game up at 1-1 heading into the final inning of play.
Three outs were more than enough for the Chants' offense, as
Zack Beach led off the top of the ninth inning with a single to left field. After a sacrifice bunt from
Graham Brown moved Beach up 90 feet into scoring position, Garrison lined a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field to put the Men in Black back in front at 3-1 midway through the ninth.
Sharkey got the first two outs quickly in the bottom of the ninth before back-to-back base hits for the Dukes put runners on first and third.
With the winning run at the plate, Sharkey struck out the JMU hitter to end the game with the Chants on top 3-1.
Coastal (12-6, 2-1 Sun Belt) will host Texas State in a three-game conference series next weekend, March 24-26, at Springs Brooks Stadium.
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.
