CONWAY, S.C. — No. 14 Coastal Carolina earned a signature win Tuesday night, defeating No. 9 Clemson 5–3 to sweep the season series in front of a record-setting crowd of 5,300 at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The Chanticleers (38-11), who knocked off Clemson 9-2 on March 25, 2025 on the road, plated two runs in the first inning and never trailed, holding off multiple comeback attempts by the Tigers (37-13) thanks to timely hitting, lockdown relief pitching, and highlight-reel defense.
The capacity crowd — the first sellout in Springs Brooks Stadium history — bested the previous top attendance of 5,102, set against Duke on June 5, 2023.
Sebastian Alexander scored twice and had three hits, including a pair of singles in the first and fifth innings.
Caden Bodine and
Ty Dooley each reached base twice, while designated hitter
Domenico Tozzi delivered a key RBI single in the seventh to pad the Chants' lead.
Five Coastal pitchers combined to limit Clemson to six hits, with
Darin Horn (4-1) earning the win in relief and
Ryan Lynch collecting his fourth save with a scoreless ninth. Starter
Luke Jones worked into the fifth inning, allowing two runs.
Clemson second baseman Tryston McCladdie homered and had three of the Tigers' six hits. Reliever Michael Gillen (0-1) took the loss after putting two runners who later scored on in the fifth.
NOTEBOOK
- Sykes Steals the Show in Center: Center fielder Wells Sykes, deputizing for an injured Dean Mihos, put together a defensive gem with six putouts, including three acrobatic, leaping catches that robbed extra bases and fired up the home crowd. He also notched a hit and a stolen base.
- Record Night at Springs Brooks: The attendance of 5,300 marked a new all-time high at Springs Brooks Stadium, eclipsing the previous record of 5,106 and adding to the electric environment for Coastal's second top-10 win of the season.
- Leading The Nation: Coastal batters were hit six times, upping the team's season total to 130. That mark now leads the NCAA, ahead of Winthrop (129) and Kentucky (128).
- Alexander's Speed and Skill: Alexander not only tallied three hits but also swiped his 21st base. He leads the Chants in stolen bases and RBIs (40) and is second in runs scored (42).
- Bullpen Holds Strong: Horn, Scott Doran, Dominick Carbone and Lynch delivered over the final four innings, striking out four, giving up one run on a shift single and stranding four Clemson baserunners, including two in scoring position.
- Up Next: The Chants will close out the home portion of the regular season with a three-game, Sun Belt Conference series against ULM at Springs Brooks Stadium. The two teams will match up at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday with a 1 p.m. finale on Saturday. All three games will air on ESPN+, the Chanticleer Sports Network or fans can listen via the Chanticleer Mobile App.
