CONWAY, S.C. – The No. 19 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers split a doubleheader with the No. 14 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in Conway, S.C., to clinch the Sun Belt Conference series 2-1. CCU fell 8-6 in game one before winning 12-10 in the nightcap of the twin bill.
 
With the split, the Chanticleers move to 27-12 overall and 11-7 in league action, while the Ragin' Cajuns go to 31-11 on the year and 15-3 in SBC action.
 
COASTAL 6 – LOUISIANA 8
In the first game of the day, Louisiana opened the scoring in the first inning with two outs as Duncan Pastore hit an infield single to drive in Maddox Mandino from second. Coastal answered in the home half of the frame as Sam Antonacci (1-for-3, BB, 2Rs) drew a walk before advancing to third on a double to center field by Derek Bender (2-for-4, 2B, 2Rs). Blake Barthol (3-for-4, 2B, R, 4RBIs) drove in the Chants' first two runs with a double down the right-field line and scored on a fielding error by the Cajuns to make the score 3-1 after one inning.
 
In the top of the second, UL cut the lead to 3-2 on back-to-back doubles by Jackson Halter and Connor Cuff. The Chants responded with three consecutive singles by Antonacci, Bender, and Barthol, the third scoring both Antonacci and Bender to push the CCU lead to 5-2.
 
Louisiana's Kyle DeBarge led off the third inning with a walk before being erased on a fielder's choice that allowed Lee Amedee to reach first. After a Pastore single put runners on first and second, Conor Higgs loaded the bases with a five-pitch walk. Amedee scored on a hit-by-pitch to Halter to cut the deficit to 5-3. CCU's Graham Brown doubled down the left-field line to lead off the home half of the frame before advancing to third on a groundout. Sebastian Alexander scored Brown from third with a sacrifice fly to right to take a 6-3 lead after three.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns cut the CCU lead to 6-5 as pinch-hitter Luke Yuhasz hit a single to right center and moved to second on a single by DeBarge. After a groundout put both runners into scoring position, Pastore plated both Yuhasz and DeBarge with the third single of the inning for Louisiana.
 
With the Chanticleers holding onto a one-run lead. UL's LB Langevin (4-0, 5.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 10Ks) and CCU's Hayden Johnson (1-1, 3.0 IP, 3Hs, 2Rs, BB, 2Ks) worked the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings with no hits as the only runner to reach on an error was quickly erased on a double play.
 
In the top of the eighth, CCU's Johnson allowed a single by Cuff and a walk to John Taylor before giving way to Trevor Hinkel. Hinkel loaded the bases by hitting UL's Yuhasz. The Ragin' Cajuns tied the game on a passed ball that allowed Cuff to score and Taylor and Yuhasz to advance to second and third. Caleb Stelly hit a sac fly to score Taylor after DeBarge was intentionally walked. Pastore closed out the scoring with a sacrifice fly to plate Yuhasz for the final 8-6 UL win.
 
Coastal's Johnson got his first loss of the year while Louisiana's Langevin picked up his fourth win of the season.
 
COASTAL 12 – LOUISIANA 10
The Ragin' Cajuns scored the first run of the game as Yuhasz reached by getting hit and moved to third on the double down the left-field line by DeBarge. Pastore drove in the lone run of the inning with a single to right for a 1-0 lead before CCU's starter Henry Weycker enticed a 1-4-3 double play to end the threat. The Chants threatened with Antonacci reaching first on a five-pitch walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. UL's starter Carson Fluno then settled in to get out of the inning with no damage done.
 
CCU's Brown (3-for-5, 2HRs, 2B, 2Rs, 4RBIs) led off the top of the second with the first of two home runs to tie the score at 1-1. Zack Beach singled up the middle with Jake Books (2-for-4, 2B, R) drawing a walk to put runners on first and second. Ty Dooley (3-for-5, 2B, 2Rs, RBI) hit a one-out double to left center to score Beach and forced the Ragin' Cajuns to make the call to the bullpen. UL's JT Etheridge allowed a single to Antonacci (3-for-5, HR, BB, 2Rs, 3RBIs) to plate Books to lead 3-1 after two innings.
 
In the top of the third, Louisiana got the first two batters on as Trey LaFleur and Taylor were both hit by pitches after a strikeout by Yuhasz, DeBarge followed with a three-run home run to retake the lead at 4-3. In the home half of the third, Coastal's Brown hit his second homer of the day to even the score at 4-4 before the Cajuns could get out of the inning.
 
The Ragin' Cajuns hit a pair of home runs to take a 6-4 short-lived lead. The Chanticleers answered on a single by Barthol and a double by Caden Bodine (3-for5, 2 2Bs, BB, R, 2RBIs) to put runners on second and third. Brown crushed a double off the batter's eye in center field to score Barthol and Bodine to tie the score at 6-6.
 
In the fifth inning, Yuhasz led off with a solo shot followed by back-to-back singles by DeBarge and Pastore before Higgs blasted a three-run shot to right field to take a 10-6 lead. The Men in Teal responded with two runs as Alexander led off the home half of the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Dooley. Alexander (0-for-3, 2BBs, 2Rs) promptly stole second before a walk by Bender loaded the bases. Bodine doubled down the left-field line to make the score 10-8.
 
In the top of the sixth, CCU's Andrew Bowers took the mound and got three quick outs on 10 pitches. Alexander drew a second walk before advancing to third on a single to right field by Dooley. An Antonacci single then scored Alexander and put runners on first and second. A groundout by Bender put runners on second and third followed by a two-out double by Barthol to give the Chants an 11-10 advantage.
 
Coastal's Parker Cassell and Jake Manderson worked the seventh and eighth combined, allowing just one runner on a hit by pitch. CCU's Antonacci led off the home half of the eighth inning with a solo home run to left field for the final margin of 12-10.
 
The Chanticleers' Alexander Meckley (0.2 IP, 2Ks) got the final two outs of the game to pick up his first save as a Chant.
 
Coastal Carolina will take to the road as the Chanticleers will travel to Omaha, Neb., for a two-game series with the Creighton Blue Jays. The two teams will meet on Tuesday, April 23, and Wednesday, April 24 with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on both days. Both games will be streamed on FloBaseball.
 
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