CONWAY – Keaton Weisz hit his first career home run – a grand slam in the fourth inning – and Seth Lancaster hit his third home run in two games to lead 18th-ranked Coastal Carolina to a 14-7 win over South Alabama Saturday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The Chanticleers (22-11 overall and 9-2 in the Sun Belt) and Jaguars (17-12, 7-3) will play the rubber match of the series on Sunday with first pitch set for 11:30 am.
The CCU offense was led by Weisz (2-for-4 with four RBI), Cory Wood (2-for-4 with three RBI) and Kieton Rivers (2-for-6 with three RBI). Lancaster, who walked twice, had two RBI. Kyle Skeels (2-for-4) and Parker Chavers each scored three runs.
South Alabama got on the scoreboard first as it took advantage of a CCU error to take a 2-0 in the top of the second. Wells Davis hit a leadoff double and Hunter Stokes walked. An error on a Hunter Brittain ground ball allowed both Davis and Stokes to score.
Coastal answered in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs. Kyle Skeels hit a leadoff single while Chavers and Weisz walked to load the bases. Wood singled off the pitcher’s foot to bring home Skeels and keep the bases loaded. On the next pitch, Rivers hit a two-run double to give CCU a 3-2 lead.
The Jaguars knotted the game, 3-3, in the top of the third. Dylan Hardy drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a throwing error. After a two-out walk to Davis, Carter Perkins hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield.
Coastal once again answered in the home half and took a 5-3 lead. Skeels hit another leadoff single and, with two outs, Cameron Pearcey was hit by a pitch. Wood then found the hole on the left side of the infield to bring home Skeels. For the second time in as many innings, Rivers followed Wood’s hit with a hit of his own to score Pearcey.
In the fourth, Coastal blew the game open by scoring seven runs to take a 12-3 lead. Kevin Woodall Jr., was hit by a pitch and Zach Biermann followed with a double. CCU loaded the bases when Skeels reached on a fielder’s choice as the Jaguars tried to make a play at third base. Chavers plated Woodall with a single down the left field line. Weisz then cleared the bases with his grand slam to left center field. After Rivers reached on a fielder’s choice, Lancaster left the confines of Springs Brooks Stadium with a two-run blast, his 10th home run of the season.
South Alabama cut its deficit to seven, 12-5, in the top of the sixth thanks to a two-run home run by Hardy. The Jags used the long ball again in the eighth, a pair of solo homers by Brittain and Travis Swaggerty, to make it a five-run game.
Coastal put two runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth to regain a seven-run advantage, 14-7. With bases loaded, Lee Sponseller singled to score pinch runner Turner Buis. Wood followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Chavers to provide the final score.
Jay Causey (2-0) got the win in relief. He pitched 4.2 innings, struck out four and walked one. Zach Greene (1-2) suffered the loss as he allowed five hits and six run in 1.1 innings.
