Coastal Carolina Wins Series Opener, 14-7, over CSU

Junior Kory Morian hit his first home run of the season in CSU's 14-7 loss to Coastal Carolina on Friday.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Seven unearned runs in the second inning provided Coastal Carolina with the winning margin in a 14-7 victory over the CSU baseball team on Friday. Junior Kory Morian hit his first home run of the season as the Buccaneers tried to claw back into the game, scoring all seven of their runs in the final four innings. Morian led CSU with three hits and three runs batted in.

Bobby Gagg earned his fifth win of the season for the Chanticleers, giving up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts. He carried a shutout into the fifth inning until Morian recorded his two-run blast over the wall in right center. Junior Andrew White took the loss for the Bucs, falling to 3-4 on the season. He went four and two-third innings, allowing nine runs although just two were earned.

CSU (12-19, 2-5 Big South) threatened in the bottom of the first inning, getting two runners on after junior Mark Perry and Morian led off with back-to-back singles. But a diving catch by Tommy Baldridge on a two-out shot into the gap ended the inning and seemed to spark the Chanticleers.

Coastal Carolina (26-7, 5-2 Big South) responded in the top of the second inning by taking advantage of a Buccaneer error to put seven runs on the score board. Jose Iglesias started the rally with a one-out single and Baldridge followed with a single of his own. An error on a fly ball to left field then loaded the bases for the Chanticleers with one out. Rico Noel grounded out to first base for what should have been the third out, but instead gave Iglesias time to score.

A wild pitch scored Baldridge and Tyler Bortnick came home on a single by David Sappelt. A single and a walk later, the bases were loaded for Coastal’s clean-up hitter, Dock Doyle. He cleared the bases with a grand slam home run to put the Chanticleers in front, 7-0. Coastal added two more in the top of the fifth inning when Sappelt pulled a ball over the wall in left field with Bortnick on second to give the visitors a 9-0 advantage.

Morian put the Bucs on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning after Perry earned his second infield single of the game. Despite having only four extra-base hits on the season, Morian turned on a pitch and took it over the wall in left center to make it a 9-2 ball game.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Chanticleers padded their lead thanks to three consecutive hit batsmen by the CSU pitching staff. Coastal scored four runs in the top half of the inning on just two hits, getting two RBI from hit batters. Chance Gilmore capped the rally with a single that scored Adam Rice to make it 13-2 in favor of the visitors. The Chanticleers added another run in the top of the eighth to take a 12-run lead.

The Bucs cut into the margin in the bottom half of the inning, getting a two-out double from junior Michael Obuchowski that brought Morian and sophomore Will Rodriguez in to score. In the bottom of the ninth and trailing by 10 runs, CSU scored three times before being retired by Chanticleer reliever Jeremiah Meiners. Rodriguez made it 14-6 with a double to right center that scored freshman Brantley Meier and junior Keith Hustedt. Morian then picked up his third RBI of the day with a single that brought Rodriguez around to score, but Meiners followed with two straight strikeouts to clinch the victory.

Tomorrow’s doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. will conclude the three-game series.