Conway, SC (WBTW) — Coastal Carolina’s Jared Johnson lined a one-out single to left center field to score the game-tying and winning runs to give the No. 19 Chanticleers a 6-5 walk-off win over the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium.
It is the first walk-off victory for the Chants since Seth Lancaster hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning in the 17-16 win versus ULM on April 29, 2018.
The Chants improve to 10-2 on the season with the win, while the loss drops Indiana to 6-5.
Coastal scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth and struck out a season-high 13 Indiana batters to earn the come from behind win.
On top of Johnson’s (1-for-3, 2 RBIs) game-winning hit, the Chants offense had four players with two hits apiece in Cory Wood (2-for-4, BB), Parker Chavers (2-for-4, 3B, BB, 2 runs), Keaton Weisz (2-for-4, run) and Scott McKeon (2-for-4, 2 RBIs).
While left-handed reliever Trevor Damron (1-0) picked up the win throwing 1.2-scoreless innings over the eighth and ninth, the Chants pitchers struck out a season-high 13 batters on the day highlighted by a career-high five strikeouts from freshman Alaska Abney (2.2 IP, 2 BB, 5 K).
Indiana had six players combine for eight hits on the day led by Matt Lloyd (2-for-4, RBI) and Jeremy Houston (2-for-4, 2 runs), while Cole Barr (1-for-4, HR, RBI) had a solo home run.
Relief pitcher Grant Sloan (0-1) suffered the loss, as he entered in the ninth and gave up a walk and the game-winning hit to Johnson.
Down 5-3 entering their final at-bat, the Chants Zach Biermann was hit-by-pitch to start the bottom of the ninth off. After a fielder’s choice got pinch runner Turner Buis out at second, Chavers singled to center field to put runners on first and second with one out.
Rivers and pinch hitter Jake Wright followed with back-to-back walks, with Wright’s bases-loaded free pass scoring pinch runner Morgan Hyde from third to put the home team down one at 5-4.
That set the stage for Johnson who roped the second pitch he saw into the left-center field gap to score both Chavers and Rivers and give the Chants the 6-5 walk-off win.
Indiana led for most of the contest, as the Hoosiers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly and a Coastal error on a failed pickoff attempt.
Coastal stormed back to take its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a McKeon two-run single and a fielding error by the Hoosiers to take a 3-2 advantage into the fifth.
The Hoosiers scored the next three runs on a pair of RBI singles in the seventh and Barr’s solo home run in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead into the ninth.
The Chants turned two double plays for the game and struck out 13 Indiana hitters compared to just six walks for the nine-inning contest.
Coastal (10-2) returns to midweek action with back-to-back contests versus Wake Forest on Tuesday, March 5 (4 p.m. ET) and Wednesday, March 6 (11 a.m. ET) at Spring Brooks Stadium.
