CCU Falls in Extra Inning Contest to UTA, 9-8

Conway, S.C. – Coastal Carolina baseball surrendered eight runs over the last three innings to drop its first game of the 2019 Sun Belt Baseball Championship to the No. 4-seeded UT Arlington Mavericks 9-8 in 10-innings on Wednesday night at Springs Brooks Stadium.

The Chants, who fall to 30-24-1 on the season, are still alive in the double-elimination bracket and will play either No. 1 Texas State or No. 10 ULM on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

The Mavs improved to 32-24 with the win and remain in the winner’s bracket heading into the third day of play on Thursday.

The loss drops CCU to 3-2-1 in extra-inning contests this season.

Starting pitcher Anthony Veneziano registered his second quality start of the season, allowing just one run on five hits, a walk, a hit batter and seven strikeouts over 7.0-complete innings but did not factor in the decision.

UTA starting left-handed pitcher Drew Gooch, who also did not factor in the decision, allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits, a walk, a hit batter and five strikeouts in 7.0-plus innings on the hill.

With the score tied at 8-8 after nine innings of play, the Chants put the go-ahead run on base in the top of the 10th on a single from Jared Johnson. However, a ground out and a pop up in foul territory ended the top half of the inning with the score still knotted up at 8-8.

The Mavs led off the bottom of the 10th with a bunt single from Aaron Funk. After a sacrifice bunt moved Funk over to second, Zac Cook ripped an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score the game-winning run and give UTA the 9-8 extra-inning win.

UTA took a 6-3 lead with a five-run eighth inning, highlighted by a two-run pinch-hit RBI single from Justin Marino on an inning prolonged by Chants’ fielding error.

Coastal fought back with a five-spot of its own in the top of the ninth, as Kieton Rivers had an RBI single which was followed two batters later by an RBI single from Kyle Skeels. Zach Biermann then laced a two-run single to right field to put the Chants on top at 7-6.

Sophomore Parker Chavers added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly to give the visitors an 8-6 edge going into the bottom of the ninth.

However, a hit-by-pitch, another fielding error and a single up the middle loaded the bases for the Mavs. A wild pitch allowed one run to score from third and put the home team down just one at 8-7.

Following an intentional walk and a fly ball out to left field, another wild pitch tied the game up at 8-8.

Chavers (1-for-3, SF, BB, 3 RBIs) led the Chants with a team-high three RBIs, while Biermann (1-for-5, 2 RBIs) added two RBIs in the loss. Cory Wood (2-for-5, 2B, BB, 2 runs), Jake Wright (2-for-3, BB, RBI, 2 runs), Kyle Skeels (2-for-3, RBI, run) and Johnson (2-for-2, run) all had two base hits on the night.

For UTA at the plate, lead-off hitter Connor Aube (3-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 runs, SB) had a game-high three hits, while Marino (1-for-1, 2 RBIs) led the way with two RBIs.

The loss fell to CCU’s Dylan Gentry (1-1), as the left-handed pitcher gave up two hits and the game-winning run in the 10th.

Coastal’s bullpen was hit up for eight runs, four of which were earned, on seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts over the final 2.1 innings of the game.

UTA reliever Wyatt Divis (5-0) stayed unbeaten on the season, throwing 1.2-scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the extra-inning win.

The opening conference tournament game for both teams began as a pitcher’s duel as neither team could push across a run over the first five innings of play.

Veneziano pitched around a hit in each of the first three innings and a walk in the fourth, while Gooch stranded two CCU runners on base in the first and one more in the fourth before both pitchers threw a clean 1-2-3 inning in the fifth.

Coastal broke through in the top of the sixth, as Wood led off the frame with a single up the middle. After an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt from Rivers allowed the senior outfielder to reach and Wood to move up to third, Wright singled to right field to plate Wood and put the visitors up 1-0.

After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, UTA looked to get out of the inning until Chavers laced a two-out, two-run single to center field to push the men in black’s lead out to 3-0 midway through the sixth.

The Mavs quickly answered with a solo home run from Aube in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Coastal lead to two at 3-1 with three innings to play.

Both teams stranded two runners on in the seventh, however, after CCU left two more on base in the top of the eighth, the Mavericks pushed across five runs in the bottom half of the inning on three-straight singles, an intentional walk, a Chant fielding error and a two-run single to take its first lead of the game at 6-3.

Both teams stranded nine runners on base for the contest.

Coastal will return to the field tomorrow night, Thursday, May 23, and will play the loser of the nightcap between No. 1 Texas State and No. 10 ULM. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.