MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Top-seeded Coastal Carolina advanced to the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship game with a 6-1 victory over No. 4 seed Marshall in Saturday's semifinal at Riverwalk Stadium.
The Chanticleers (47-11) extended their winning streak to 17 games and will play for the conference title against Southern Miss on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
Blake Barthol gave Coastal Carolina a lead it never relinquished with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first — his team-leading 12th of the season. He added a sacrifice fly in the third inning to finish with three RBIs.
Coastal added single runs in the third, fifth, sixth and eighth innings, with freshman designated hitter Domenico Tozzi — returning from injury — driving in a run in the fifth. Dean Mihos made his first appearance in over two weeks and stole a base before scoring in the eighth.
Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year candidate Jacob Morrison improved to 11-0 after allowing just one run across seven innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked two before turning the ball over to Matthew Potok, who struck out three across two hitless innings to close it out.
NOTEBOOK
Streaking into Sunday: With the victory, Coastal Carolina has now won 17 straight games — its longest streak since winning 17 in a row during the 2010 season.
Power Surge: Blake Barthol's first-inning blast gave him 12 home runs this year, the most on the team. He also added a sacrifice fly in the third, finishing with three RBIs on the day.
Return of Tozzi and Mihos: Domenico Tozzi returned as the designated hitter after missing the past six games due to injury. He singled in the first and later drove in a run in the fifth. Dean Mihos, sidelined since the finale of the James Madison series, pinch ran in the eighth, stole a base, and scored a run to cap Coastal's scoring.
Pitching Efficiency: Jacob Morrison (11-0) tossed seven innings with just 96 pitches, allowing a lone run in the first before settling in. Matthew Potok faced only six batters over the final two innings to seal the win.
Setting the Table: Leadoff hitter Caden Bodine singled and scored in the first inning and walked later in the game. Sebastian Alexander went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and a stolen base.
Championship Sunday: The Chanticleers advance to Sunday's championship game at 2 p.m. ET, seeking their first Sun Belt Tournament title since 2019. They will face the second-seeded Southern Miss.
Reserve Your Regional Tickets Today: Coastal Carolina fans can reserve seats at Springs Brooks Stadium for the NCAA Regional round, should the Chanticleers be selected as one of 16 host sites. Lock in your seats now!
