CONWAY, S.C. – In a midweek non-conference top-15 battle between the No. 8 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the No. 10/16 Clemson Tigers, the Chanticleers fell at home 13-6 to the Tigers on Wednesday night in Springs Brooks Stadium.
For the first time this season, the Chants have lost two games to the same team, as Clemson defeated CCU 16-6 back on April 4 in Clemson, S.C. Prior to the defeat, CCU's 16 losses had come to 16 different teams.
The loss dropped Coastal to 5-7 in midweek games and 6-5 in games versus top-25 nationally ranked opponents.
The two teams combined to use 17 pitchers on the night, nine from the Chanticleers and eight from the Tigers.
It would be the Chants' miscues that would be their undoing, as Coastal's pitchers walked 11 batters and hit another hitter, the defense committed three errors in the field, and the offense struck out 11 times and was hitless with two outs (0-for-7) for the game.
Coastal freshman
Jake Books (2-for-2, 2B, SF, 3 RBIs, run) continued to swing a hot bat, driving in three of the Chants' six runs after entering the game in the fourth inning as a pinch hitter.
Fellow freshman
Blake Barthol (2-for-3, 3B, BB, run, SB) added two base hits, including his team-leading fourth triple, senior catcher
Tanner Garrison (1-for-2, 2 RBIs) drove in two RBIs, and sophomore designated hitter
Derek Bender (1-for-5, HR, RBI, run) blasted his 15th home run of the year.
On top of the 11 walks, the Clemson offense recorded 10 base hits, led by home runs from designated hitter Billy Amick (3-for-6, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs), first baseman Caden Grice (1-for-4, HR, BB, HBP, RBI, 3 runs), and catcher Jacob Jarrell (1-for-4, GS, BB, 4 RBIs, run).
Saddled with the loss for the Chants was reliever
Bryce Shaffer (4-1), as the lefty was hampered by a costly CCU fielding error and gave up three runs, two of which were earned, on one hit and one walk in the third inning.
Clemson's Joe Allen (2-0) picked up the win, as he was the most effective pitcher on the night and was in the game when the Tigers took the lead for good. The righty struck out two hitters and walked one over 1.0-scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
Coastal's Bender led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run to right field to tie the game up at 1-1 heading into the third frame, where the Tigers would use a seven-run inning to race out to an 8-1 lead.
Aided by a Coastal fielding error in the outfield and three walks, the Tigers scored seven runs on the misplayed fly ball, a bases-loaded walk, and a grand slam from Jarrell to take a demanding lead.
The home-standing Chanticleers got one run back in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Books, only to see the visitors score two runs in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and another fielding error, and two more runs in the sixth on a walk followed by a two-run home run to put the Tigers in front 12-2 midway through the sixth inning.
Refusing to give up, the Chants pushed across three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Books and a two-run single from Garrison to cut into the Clemson lead at 12-5.
However, Clemson answered with a solo home run from Grice in the top of the seventh inning to push its lead out to eight at 13-5.
CCU plated one more run in the bottom half of the eighth inning on a Barthol triple and a Books' RBI double but was unable to rally in the 13-6 loss.
The Chants (30-17, 17-7 Sun Belt) will look to regroup as they hit the road for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at South Alabama (23-24, 11-13 Sun Belt) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 12-14, in Mobile, Ala.
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.
