CONWAY, SC (WBTW) — Coastal Carolina baseball’s 11-2 win over the Campbell Fighting Camels was a total team effort, as the No. 21 ranked Chanticleers had 10 different players record a hit and saw a number of milestones in the contest highlighted by the return to the mound of both redshirt senior Bobby Holmes and redshirt junior Austin Kitchen in Sunday’s win on the final day of the Brittain Resorts Invitational at Springs Brooks Stadium.
After missing all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Holmes made the walk from the bullpen in left field to the mound in the top of the eighth to a roaring ovation from the fans in attendance.
Holmes threw a scoreless inning, striking out one batter and then forcing a 5-4-3 double play to end the eighth in his return.
Holmes came into the game in relief of Kitchen (1-0) who picked up the win. The lefty, who missed all of last season due to an injury as well, allowed two unearned runs on five hits, one walk and two strikeouts over 3.0 innings of work.
Getting his first career start, freshman pitcher Garrett McDaniels did not disappoint as he threw 4.0-scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, walking three and striking out three hitters.
Offensively, senior Mike Koenig (1-for-2, HR, RBI) blasted his first career home run as a Chant in the third inning, while newcomers Morgan Hyde (1-for-3, 2 BB, RBI, 2 runs) and Jared Johnson (1-for-1) each picked up their first career base hits as a Chant in the win.
Catcher Kyle Skeels (2-for-4, 2 2B, BB, 3 RBIs, run) led the way at the plate with a pair of doubles and three RBIs, while senior Zach Biermann (2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBIs, run) also had two base hits and drove in two runs for the game. Cory Wood (1-for-2, 3 BB, 2 RBIs, 3 runs, 2 SB) and Parker Chavers (1-for-1, 2B, 2 BB, HBP, 2 RBIs) each had a pair of RBIs in the win.
Campbell lead-off hitter Matthew Barefoot (1-for-4, BB, RBI) had the lone RBI in the game for the Camels, while both Marcus Skundrich (2-for-4, run) and AJ Hrica (2-for-3, BB) each had two hits apiece for the contest.
CU starter Kevin Westlake (0-1) took the loss, as the left-handed pitcher allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on four hits, six walks and four strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.
The Camels’ bullpen, which included six pitchers, gave up six earned runs on eight hits over the final five innings of the game.
The Chanticleers jumped on the Camels early, as the home team pushed across five runs over the first three innings of the game with an RBI ground out in the first, a Hyde RBI single and a two-run double by Skeels in the second and a solo home run from Koenig in the third.
With the 5-0 lead, McDaniels was effective on the mound as he and Kitchen kept the Camels off the scoreboard through the first five innings of play.
After Coastal extended its lead to 7-0 on a two-run single to center off the bat of Wood in the bottom of the fifth, the Camels took advantage of two Chanticleer mistakes in the field to put two runs across the plate in the top of the sixth.
Campbell looked to add a third run in the same inning, however, Hyde threw out Grant Harris at home plate trying to score from second base on a single to left field to end the inning and keep Coastal in front by five at 7-2.
Biermann provided some insurance with a two-run double to right field in the bottom of the seventh to put the score at 11-2.
Holmes faced three batters in the eighth, while freshman right-handed hurler Alaska Abneypitched the ninth to seal the win for the Chanticleers.
Both teams turned three double plays on the night and stranded 10 runners apiece on base.
Coastal (3-0) will hit the road for the first time this season for a midweek tilt at UNC Wilmington (3-1) on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. ET.