CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers got back in the win column as the Chanticleers snapped an eight-game skid with a 15-9 win over the UNC Greensboro Spartans on Tuesday night inside the friendly confines of Spring Brooks Stadium. With the win, the Chants improved to 28-20 on the season, while the Spartans fell to 29-17 with the loss.
Coastal's
Graham Brown (4-for-5, 2B, R, 2RBI),
Caden Bodine (3-for-5, R, 2RBI),
Blake Barthol (3-for-5, 3 2B, 2R, RBI),
Dean Mihos (2-for-3, 2 2B, R),
Sam Antonacci (2-for-4, 2B, 3R, 2RBI),
Derek Bender (2-for-4, HR, 2R, 2RBI), and
Ty Dooley (2-for-4, 2B, R, 2RBI) had multiple hits, while
Dean Mihos (1-for-4, HR, 2R, 3RBI) and
Corey Zientek (1-for-4, 2B, R, 2RBI) recorded one hit each.
CCU starter
Josh O'Neill worked 2.0 innings, allowing three runs on two hits with a strikeout, while
Hayden Johnson (2-2) picked up his second win of the season by allowing one run on two hits and striking out four batters over 2.0 innings.
UNCG was led by Caleb Cozart ((2-foor-3, 2HR, 2R, 5RBI), Trey Truitt (2-for-4, BB, R), Luke Holland (2-for-5, HR, 2R, 2RBI), and Tyler Steele (2-for-5, R, RBI), while Spartan starter Jay Miller (1-4) allowed five runs on five hits without recording a single out. Noah Chapman pitched 4.0 innings and allowed five runs on six hits.
The Chanticleers opened the scoring in the bottom half of the first inning, as Antonacci, Brown, Bodine, Bender, and Barthol all reached on base hits. Antonacci singled to right center before advancing to third on the double by Brown. Bodine and Bender both singled to score Antonacci and Brown to take a 2-0 lead. Barthol chased UNCG's Miller with a double to score to make the score 3-0.
Zack Beach grounded out to first to score Bender from third and Mihos reached base after getting hit by a pitch to put runners on first and third. After a wild pitch moved Mihos into scoring position, Dooley doubled down the left-field line to give the Chants a 5-0 lead. Antonacci recorded his second hit of the inning, a double to left to score Dooley before Brown drove in his first run of the night with a single through the left side to plate Antonacci and make the score 8-0.
CCU added a run in the home half of the second as Bender led off with a home run to right center to give Coastal a 9-0 lead.
In the top of the third, the Spartans loaded the bases before Cozart belted a blast over the batter's eye in center field to make the score 9-4. The Chanticleers responded in the bottom half of the frame as Zientek led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a passed ball before Dooley moved him to third on a sac bunt. Antonacci drove in Zientek with a groundout to second giving CCU a 10-4 lead.
UNCG cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning as Holland reached second on a Chanticleer miscue, Holland promptly stole third before Steele singled up the middle to make the score 10-5.
In the fifth and sixth innings combined, Coastal added five runs. Antonacci drew a two-out walk and moved to second on Brown's single to left center. Bodine hit a single to left to score Antonacci. After a Barthol double and Beach walk, Mihos added three runs on a home run to left field. Zientek followed with a walk and advanced to second on the bunt single by Dooley. Brown closed out the scoring for the Chanticleers with a single to right center to plate Zientek to make the score 15-5.
The Spartans added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh on Cozart's second home run of the night to lead off the inning. UNCG again loaded the bases with Truitt scoring on a wild pitch to cut the Chanticleer lead to 15-7.
In the top of the ninth, UNC Greensboro picked up two runs on a home run to left field by Holland for the final margin of 15-9.
Coastal will return to action in Conway, S.C., for the Chants' final Sun Belt Conference home series with the Georgia State Panthers beginning on Friday, May 10-12, at Springs Brooks Stadium with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Friday, 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. The games will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on WRNN 99.5 Hot Talk.
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.
