CONWAY, S.C. – The top-seeded Coastal Carolina Chanticleers had a no-hitter through six innings but saw the Rider Broncs explode for nine runs on eight hits in the top of the seventh inning and hold off a valiant comeback bid by the home-standing Chanticleers to upset the No. 10 national-seeded Chants 11-10 in 10 innings on the first day of the NCAA Conway Regional.
The game was one of twists and turns throughout, as the Chants' offense had 14 base hits but stranded 16 runners on base, while the Rider offense scored 11 runs on 12 hits from the seventh inning on.
The loss dropped the Chants to 5-1 in extra-inning games this season and has CCU on a three-game skid, matching its longest of the season.
Freshman starter
Liam Doyle was the story early, as making just his fourth career start, the first-year Chant no-hit the Broncs over 6.0-complete innings, walking two and striking out a career-high nine hitters.
However, the Coastal bullpen was unable to hold things together, as the Rider offense scored 11 runs on 12 hits, four walks, and just five strikeouts from the seventh inning on.
Taking the loss for CCU was Collegiate Baseball second-team All-American reliever
Teddy Sharkey (7-2), as the righty gave up two runs on two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts in the 10th inning.
Earning the win for the Broncs was their all-conference closer Danny Kirwin (7-2), as the right-hander threw 3.2 innings, giving up three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits, four walks, and three strikeouts by way of a season-high 81 pitches.
Coastal's offense was led by freshman
Caden Bodine (3-for-6, IBB, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) with a team-high three base hits and sophomore
Ty Dooley (2-for-5, HR, SF, 3 RBIs, run) with a team-high three RBIs. Senior
Graham Brown (2-for-5, HR, HBP, 2 RBIs, run) added a two-run home run, while the middle of the lineup in
Nick Lucky (0-for-4, SF, BB, RBI),
Derek Bender (1-for-5, BB, RBI), and
Zack Beach (3-for-5, BB, RBI, 3 runs) all drove in one RBI apiece in the loss.
Rider's offense, which hit around in the seventh inning, was led by three hits apiece from John Volpe (3-for-6, RBI, 2 runs, SB) and Brian Skettini (3-for-6, 2 RBIs), while Jack Winsett (2-for-5, 4 RBIs, run) drove in a game-high four RBIs.
Coastal got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out RBI single from Beach and then quickly tripled its lead to 3-0 with a two-run, two-out single off the bat of Bodine in the bottom of the fourth.
After the Men in Teal went up 5-0 on a two-run home run from Brown in the bottom of the fifth frame, his 15th of the season, Doyle continued his dominance in the top of the sixth inning, pitching around a walk to keep the Broncs off the scoreboard.
Doyle allowed just three base runners all game with a hit batter and walk in the first inning and a walk in the sixth inning, and at one point, sent down 15 straight hitters from the second through the sixth frames.
However, in the seventh inning, the Broncs got to the Coastal bullpen, starting the frame with back-to-back walks before stringing together seven consecutive hits to storm past the Chants and take a 7-5 lead on back-to-back RBI singles from Scott Shaw and Skettini.
The Broncs weren't done there, however, as following a fielder's choice ground out, a strikeout, and another walk, Winsett delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to cap the nine-run frame and put the score at 9-5 heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
Refusing to quit, the Chants got two runs back in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two-run home run from Dooley, his sixth long ball of the season, and another run back in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Bender.
Down 9-8 in the bottom of the ninth, Coastal got a pinch-hit base hit from
Kameron Guangorena to start the inning and moved up the pinch-runner
Dean Mihos on a sacrifice bunt.
After a hit-by-pitch, a Rider throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt, and an intentional wall to Bodine to load the bases, Lucky laced a line drive to left field, but right at the oncoming left fielder to settle for the sacrifice fly to tie the game up at 9-9.
In the 10th inning, Rider used a walk, a sacrifice bunt, and a pair of RBI singles by Volpe and Skettini to retake the lead at 11-9 with just three outs to play.
CCU's Beach led off the bottom of the 10th inning with an infield single and moved up to second on a pop fly to right field from Brown that found the grass for a single to put the tying runs on base.
A passed ball moved both runners up 90 feet, which set up Dooley for a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Beach and trim the deficit in half at 11-10 with a runner on second base.
Rider's Kirwin struck out the next CCU hitter before walking the next to batters to load the bases for Bodine.
The freshman laced the second pitch of the at-bat to left-center field, where a sprinting Brendan O'Donnell made a diving catch in the gap to save the win for the visiting Broncs and end the comeback bid for the Chanticleers.
Coastal (39-20) will play the No. 3 seed UNCW (34-22) tomorrow in the first elimination game at noon ET 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.
