CONWAY, S.C. – The No. 17 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers toppled the No. 7 Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 17-9, on Tuesday night in Conway at Springs Brooks Stadium. The Chanticleers have pushed their winning streak to 14 consecutive games. The 5,101 fans in attendance at Springs Brooks Stadium was the second most ever at a Coastal Carolina baseball game and the largest for a regular season game, just behind the 5,102 fans at the 2023 Conway Regional championship game between the Chanticleers and the Duke Blue Devils.
 
CCU's Dominick Carbone (3-0) picked up his third win of the season, going 1.2 innings and allowing two runs on two hits with one strikeout. Chanticleer starter Josh O'Neill did not factor in the decision and pitched 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three batters. The Demon Deacons' Ben Shenosky (1-1) gave up four runs on no hits with one strikeout while allowing a total of five free passes in just 0.1 inning.
 
The Chants got into an early jam with the bases loaded in the top of the first before O'Neill was able to entice a 1-4-3 double play to end the threat. Coastal responded by loading the bases with one out as Sam Antonacci (0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4R, RBI) and Blake Barthol (2-for-3, HR, 3 HBP, 4R, 3RBIs) were hit by a pitch and Caden Bodine (2-for-5, BB, 1R, 3RBIs) walked. Zack Beach (0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 HBP, R, RBI) scored Antonacci with the second walk of the inning before Graham Brown was hit by a pitch as CCU added a second run without recording a hit. Corey Zientek (2-for-4, 2B, BB, HBP, 2R, 2RBIs) slapped a double down the left field line to score Bodine and Beach to give the Men in Teal a 4-0 lead at the end of the first.
 
Coastal (15-2) held Wake Forest scoreless after a one-out walk by Javar Williams in the second before the Chanticleers' Derek Bender (2-for-3, 3B, 2B, 2 BB, 3RBIs) hit a line drive to right field to score Antonacci, who walked and stole second before advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt by the Deacs' pitcher, to give CCU a 5-0 lead.
 
The Chanticleers added seven runs over the next two innings. Zientek and Barthol sandwiched an Antonacci walk by reaching base on a hit by pitch before Bender scored Zientek on a walk and Bodine plated Antonacci and Barthol with a single through the right side into right field to put Coastal up 8-0 at the end of three innings.
 
CCU's Ty Dooley became the eighth Chanticleer batter to be hit by a pitch to load the bases in the bottom of the fourth before Antonacci drove in Books with a groundout to first. Barthol followed with his 10th home run of the season to increase the Chants lead to 12-0 at the end of the fourth.
 
Wake responded four runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 12-4, as Adam Tellier drove in Cameron Nelson and scored on Nick Kurtz three-run homer.
 
Coastal added one back in the bottom of the sixth to lead 13-4 as Bodine drove in Barthol following a single and steal.
 
The Demon Deacons pushed five across the plate in the seventh as Seaver King singled to score Jacob Burley and Kurtz added a sacrifice fly to score Nelson. After a Jack Winnay sacrifice fly plated Tellier, Jake Reinisch drove a shot down the right field line over the visitor's bullpen to make the score 13-9.
 
CCU answered with four in the home portion of the frame. After Dean Mihos and Zientek walked Dooley singled to left field and scored Mihos on the fielding error by Wake Forest. Antonacci reached on the 10th hit by a pitch of the game for Coastal and, with runners on first and second, Bender hit a ground rule double down the left field line to score Dooley. Antonacci would score the final run of the game on a wild pitch by the Demon Deacons for the final score of 17-9.
 
Coastal Carolina will open Sun Belt Conference play on Friday, March 15, as the Chanticleers will take on the James Madison Dukes for a three-game series at Springs Brooks Stadium with a 6 p.m. ET scheduled first pitch. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
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.