LAFAYETTE, La. – The No. 5/6 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers scored seven runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by a grand slam from super senior outfielder
Nick Lucky, to even the Sun Belt Conference series with the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns with a 13-5 road win on Saturday evening in Lafayette, La.
The win puts Coastal at 27-14 overall and 14-6 in Sun Belt play, and keeps the Chants atop of the regular-season conference standings by one game, while Louisiana fell to 29-16 overall and 11-9 in league play with the defeat.
The win snapped the Chants' longest losing streak of the season at three consecutive games.
CCU's 13 runs put the Chants at 22-0 on the season when scoring double-digit runs, while with their two home runs, both of which came in the seventh inning, the Chants improved to 21-4 overall when hitting two or more home runs in the same game.
Coastal's offense again was clutch with runners on base, as the Chants hit .412 (7-for-17) with runners on and an even better .500 (5-for-10) with runners in scoring position compared to Louisiana's .200 (4-for-20) and .250 (3-for-12), respectively.
Seven different Chanticleers recorded a hit in the win, led by freshman infielder
Blake Barthol (2-for-3, HR, 2 SF, 4 RBIs, 2 runs) and Lucky (1-for-5, GS, 4 RBIs, run) both driving in a game-high four RBIs, a career-high for Barthol. Senior outfielder
Graham Brown (1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBIS, 2 runs) added two runs and two RBIs, while both freshman catcher
Caden Bodine (1-for-4, BB, RBI, run) and sophomore designated hitter
Derek Bender (0-for-3, SF, HBP, RBI, run) drove in one RBI each in the win.
Despite outhitting Coastal 10-9 and registering five extra-base hits for the game, the Ragin' Cajuns totaled just five runs and stranded nine base runners on the night.
Louisiana picked up home runs from both Julian Brock (1-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs, run) and Will Veillon (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run), and two hits apiece from Kyle Debarge (2-for-5), Heath Hood (2-for-5, 3B, 2B, RBI, run), and Conor Higgs (2-for-5, 2B, RBI, run) in the loss.
Moving to 6-0 on the season was Coastal freshman starter
Jacob Morrison (6-0), as the right-handed pitcher gave up four runs on six hits, two walks, one hit batter, and three strikeouts over 5.0-plus innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen.
The duo of
Darin Horn (1.0 IP, 1 BB) and
Liam Doyle (3.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K) went the rest of the way, holding Louisiana to just one run on four hits, one walk, two hit batters, and four strikeouts over the final 4.0 innings in the win. With his 3.0-complete innings, Doyle (1) picked up his first career save.
Louisiana starting pitcher Jackson Nezuh (6-4) was handed the loss, as the righty gave up five runs, three of which were earned, on four hits, three walks, one wild pitch, and four strikeouts in 4.0 innings of work.
Looking to build on their win from Friday night, the Ragin' Cajuns took an early lead in the first inning, leading off the bottom half of the frame with a hit-by-pitch, stolen base, infield single, and an RBI double down the left-field line by Hood to go up 1-0 three batters into the game.
However, Morrison was able to get the next three hitters out to get out of the inning and strand two Louisiana runners to keep the score at 1-0 heading into the second inning.
The Chanticleers' offense broke through in the top of the third inning, as a walk, Louisiana fielding error, and a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs to start the frame.
Following a wild pitch that allowed the first runner to score from third base and tie the game up at 1-1, Brown lined a double into the right-field corner to plate the other two runners and push the visitors in Teal in front for the first time in the game at 3-1.
Two batters later, Bender hit a hard sacrifice fly to center field to score Brown from third base to cap the four-run inning and push the lead to three at 4-1 midway through the third inning.
Coastal added a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Barthol, which proved to be a huge base hit to extend the visitor's lead to 5-4 midway through the fourth inning.
Louisiana would go to the long ball over the next few innings, as Veillon hit a solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning before Brock belted a two-run dinger in the bottom of the sixth frame to cut the CCU lead to one at 5-4 heading into the seventh inning.
Barthol came up big again at the plate in the top of the seventh inning, leading off the inning with an opposite-field solo home run, his fourth home run of the season, to put the lead back out to two at 6-4.
The big inning continued for the Chants with a hit-by-pitch, wild pitch, and walk to put runners on first and second for another true freshman in Bodine, who lined a single through the left side to score
Payton Eeles and put the lead at 7-4.
With Louisiana yet to get an out in the inning, Bender was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Lucky, who made the Cajuns pay with a grand slam over the center field wall to blow the game wide open at 11-4.
Barthol, who led off the inning with a solo home run, capped the seven-run seventh inning with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left field to extend the lead to 12-4 heading into the seventh inning stretch.
Coastal added another run in the top of the ninth inning on a second sacrifice fly by Barthol before the Cajuns' pushed across a run in the bottom half of the ninth on a Hood triple and RBI double by Higgs to put the final score at 13-5 in favor of the Chants.
The Chants and Ragin' Cajuns will play the rubber game tomorrow at 11 a.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.
