CONWAY – Coastal Carolina allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game, 8-8, but Parker Chavers drew a one-out walk in the bottom half and Seth Lancaster followed with a walk-off, two-run home run to lift the 21st-ranked Chanticleers to a 10-8 victory over Ohio State in day two of the Environmental Staffing Chanticleer Classic at Springs Brooks Stadium.
This was the third walk-off for Coastal (12-4) this season, winning twice on 10th-inning singles on back-to-back nights versus Oklahoma and Kansas Stat in the opening weekend. The Chanticleers and Buckeyes (8-6) will square off again Sunday morning (11 am) before CCU turns around to host High Point at approximately 3 pm to wrap up the Environmental Staffing Chanticleer Classic.
Lancaster was 2-for-4 with two walks and Chavers was 3-for-3 with two walks. Zach Biermann (2-for-5) , Michael Koenig (2-for-5) and Lee Sponseller (2-for-4) helped CCU have 14 hits to mark the eighth time the Chants have recorded double-digit hits and seventh time to score double-digit runs.
Coastal wasted no time in taking a 1-0 lead in the first. Lancaster hit he second pitch he saw back up the middle and moved to second on a Kieton Rivers sacrifice bunt. Biermann followed with an RBI double.
The Buckeyes bounced back in the top of the second. Conner Pohl walked and Nate Romans hit his first career home run to give Ohio State a 2-1 lead.
Biermann struck again in the third to spark a four-run frame. The junior hit a leadoff home run, his sixth blast of the season and fourth in three games. Kevin Woodall Jr., was then hit by a pitch and scored on a double to left-center field by Sponseller. With two outs, Koenig lined an RBI single to center and took second when OSU tried to throw out Sponseller at home. Chavers duplicated Koenig, hitting an RBI single to give CCU a 5-2 lead.
Ohio State was able to answer again. Tyler Cowles singled and scored on a two-out double down the left field line by Jacob Barnwell.
The Chants regained a three-run lead in the fifth, 6-3. Sponseller singled, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a Koenig single.
However, Ohio State was able to answer a third time as Cowles and Romans hit back-to-back, two-out home runs to make it a one-run contest, 6-5 in the top of the sixth.
Coastal took advantage of an OSU error to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 8-5. With Rivers on third and Woodall on first, Kyle Skeels hit a hit pop up that was dropped to bring home Rivers. Woodall went to third on the play and later scored on a Matt Beaird single.
Ohio State scored three runs in the ninth thanks to a two-out, CCU error. With two outs and a runner on third, pinch hitter Dylan Digler reached on an error to allow Cowles to score. Then, Dominic Canzone tied the game with a two-run home run.
Patrick Orlando (1-0) was credited with the win. He pitched the final three innings and allowed two hits and three runs — all unearned — with a strikeouts.