CLEMSON, SC – Coastal Carolina batted around and used a 10-run first inning to run out in front of the No. 20 Clemson Tigers in a 16-7 midweek road win at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday night.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak to the Tigers and improved the Chants’ record to 12-7-1 overall on the season. The loss dropped Clemson to 15-5 on the year.
CCU’s 10-run inning is the first since the Chants plated 10 runs in the fourth inning at Arkansas State on March 17, 2018.
The 10-run lead was more than enough for the win despite the Tigers hitting five home runs in the game.
The Chanticleers moved to 11-0-1 on the season when scoring six runs or more for the game and 7-0-1 on the year when posting a big inning of four runs or more at the plate.
Five different chants had multiple hits for the win led by lead-off hitter AustinWhite (3-for-3, 3 runs, SB) and his team-high three hits before he left the game in the fourth due to an injury. Fellow outfielder Nick Lucky (2-for-6, 2B, 5 RBIs, 2 runs) extended his hitting streak to 10-straight games and matched designated hitter Tyler Johnson (2-for-4, 2 HR, BB, 5 RBIs, 2 runs) with a game-high five RBIs.
Johnson, who hit two home runs and drove in a career-high five RBIs, joined Dale Thomas this season in hitting two home runs in the same game, as Thomas hit two dingers in the win over Rutgers on Feb. 28.
On top of that, short stop Eric Brown (2-for-2, 2 BB, 2 HBP, RBI, 3 runs, SB) reached base safely six times, while both Cooper Weiss (1-for-4, BB, HBP, 2 RBIs, run) and Graham Brown (2-for-5, 2B, SF, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) each had two RBIs in the win.
The Chanticleers as a team hit .444 (8-for-18) with runners in scoring position in the win compared to the Tigers .167 (1-for-6) average.
The Tigers were powered by five home runs, as four different players had two hits or more in the loss. Max Wagner (3-for-4, HR, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 runs) had two extra-base hits, while Dylan Brewer (2-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs) belted two home runs .
CCU starter Eliot Carney had a strong outing, allowing just four runs on five hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts over 4.1 innings, before handing the ball over to sophomore Matthew Joyce (4-0) who picked up the win, his team-leading fourth on the season. Joyce gave up just one run on one hit, one walk, and one strikeout over 1.2 innings out of the bullpen.
Taking the loss was North Myrtle Beach native Billy Barlow (0-2), as the freshman right-hander gave up five runs on two hits, a walk, and hit a batter in only 0.2 innings pitched.
The Tigers used six pitchers in the loss.
Coastal pounced on the Tigers right out of the gate, pushing across 10 runs in the top of the first inning.
White led off the game with a single through the right side. After White stole second and Eric Brown was hit by a pitch, both runners moved up 90 feet on a failed pickoff attempt to put runners on second and third with no outs.
The Chants took advantage, as Lucky ripped a single down the third-base line to plate both White and Eric Brown to put the home team up 2-0 just three batters into the game.
That was just the start, as the next two hitters reached base on a hit-by-pitch and a walk to load the bases and forced a Clemson pitching change.
The change did not slow down the Chants’ offense, as Graham Brown hit the first pitch to the wall in left field to score Lucky from third on a sacrifice fly to go up 3-0. Johnson followed with a three-run home run over the Cajun Café behind the right-field wall to double the Chants’ lead at 6-0.
catcher Tanner Garrison kept the inning alive with a single to center field before Matt McDermott drew a walk to bring up the top of the order for the second time in the inning where White singled to center field for his second hit of the inning to load the bases.
After Eric Brown drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, Lucky hit a ground ball to first base for the second out of the inning but scored McDermott from third to put the visitors in teal up 8-0.
The scoring in the first inning was not over yet, as Weiss then placed a ball off the end of the bat just in front of the right fielder to plate two more chants and put Coastal on top 10-0 after just a half-inning of play
That was more than enough for Carney on the mound, as the super senior starter pitched a 1-2-3 first inning and pitched around a lead-off single in the second frame to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard through two innings.
The Chants added three more runs in the top of the third inning on back-to-back singles from White and Eric Brown and a pair of run-scoring doubles from Lucky and Graham Brown, before Johnson belted his second home run of the game and third on the season for a two-run shot to push Coastal’s lead to 15-0 midway through the third inning.
Clemson refused to roll over as the home-standing Tigers hit a pair of two-run home runs, the first from Benjamin Blackwell to right-center field to spoil the shutout in the bottom of the third inning and the second off the bat by Brewer in the bottom of the fourth to cut the chants’ lead to 15-4 after four complete.
The Tigers threatened again in the bottom of the fifth, putting runners on first and second on back-to-back one-out walks before the Chants went to the bullpen for Joyce who threw one pitch to start a 4-6-3 double play and end the inning with Coastal still in front big at 15-4.
After the Chants went down in order in the top of the sixth, the Tigers’ Brewer hit his second home run of the game, a solo home run to right field to start the bottom half of the inning, to chip away at the Coastal lead at 15-5.
Despite not scoring since the third inning, the Coastal bullpen was able to avoid the big inning to keep a comfortable lead until a two-out, RBI-single off the bat of McDermott in the top of the eighth ended the Chants’ scoring drought and pushed the lead back to double digits at 16-6 with six outs to play.
reliever Jacob Maton pitched around an error and a single in the eighth inning, while fellow right-handed hurler Luke Barrow gave up one run on a solo home run in the ninth but struck out the side to put the final score at 16-7.
Coastal will jump back into Sun Belt Conference play this weekend, as the Chants will continue their road trip at No. 9 Texas State (18-4, 3-0 SBC) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 25-27 in San Marcos, Texas.
Courtesy of the Coastal Carolina Athletics
