Coastal Carolina Cruises Past Wake Forest, 19-3
CONWAY - Kyle Skeels had a career-high six RBI -- thanks to two doubles and a home run -- and Zach Biermann hit two home runs with four RBI to lead #21 Coastal Carolina to a 19-3 victory over Wake Forest Wednesday evening at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The Chanticleers broke open a 3-3 game with nine runs in the bottom of the fourth and improve to 11-3. Coastal will return to Springs Brooks Stadium this weekend (Mar. 9-11) to host Ohio State and High Point in the Environmental Staffing Chanticleer Classic. The Demon Deacons drop to 5-8.
Skeels was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk while Biermann was 3-for-3 with a hit by pitch and three runs scored. Seth Lancaster added three hits, including two in the decisive fourth inning. Michael Koenig also had three hits.
Freshman pitcher Anthony Simonelli improved to 3-0 in his third career start as he allowed five hits and three runs over his five innings of work.
Coastal staked a 2-0 lead in the first. Cory Wood had a leadoff single, Kevin Woodall Jr., walked and Lee Sponseller was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs, Skeels walked to force home Wood. Two pitches later, Lee Sponseller was hit by a pitch to force home Woodall for the two-run lead.
Wake Forest answered with two run in the top of the second. Shane Muntz reached on a fielder's choice and the Demon Deacons got back-to-back, two-out doubles -- one by Christian Long and the second being a two-run double by Michael Ludowig.
The Chants regained the lead with two outs in the third as Biermann launched his third round tripper of the season, an opposite field home run to put his squad up 3-2. However, Muntz responded with a solo shot of his own in the top of the fourth to make the score 3-3.
Coastal exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fourth. With bases loaded, Skeels ripped a three-run double to left field. Biermann followed with a two-run home run to right field for the five-run cushion. Koenig and Wood kept the rally going with consecutive singles to put runners on the corners. Coastal then executed a double steal, Wood swiped second and Koenig home to take a 9-3 lead. Lancaster, the 11th batter of the inning, collected his second single of the frame as his blooper fell in centerfield to score Wood. Woodall plated Rivers with a single through the left side and Lancaster capped the scoring thanks to a Wake Forest passed ball.
In the fifth, Coastal scored three more, including a leadoff home run by Skeels. Then in the sixth, Skeels had his second double of the game and drove in a run as part of a four-run frame to provide the 19-3 final. Also in the sixth, Koenig had an RBI double and Turner Buis got his first hit as a Chanticleer in his first at bat at Coastal.
Wake Forest used eight pitchers and Antonio Menendez (0-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing one hit and two runs in a third of an inning's work.
Windham Lifts Cajuns To Walk-Off Win Over No. 13 LSU
LAFAYETTE, La. – Freshman Jonathan Windham delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the tenth to lift the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team to a 4-3 victory over No. 13 LSU on Wednesday night in front of a crowd of 5,499 at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
Senior Logan Stoelke earned the win for the Ragin' Cajuns (5-7) after tossing two innings with two strikeouts to close out the contest. Reliever Austin Bain was tabbed with the loss for the Tigers (9-5) after surrendering one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of work.
LEADING THE CAJUNS
Senior Colten Schmidt notched a quality start in the game limiting LSU to one run on five hits in a career-high eight innings. Schmidt had five strikeouts in the outing and faced the minimum over his final four frames.
Gavin Bourgeois, Daniel Lahare, Hayden Cantrelle and Hunter Kasuls each had a pair of hits in the game, while Kasuls had a game-high two RBI. Bourgeois extended his on-base streak to seven games, and both Kasuls and Cantrelle reached base three times.
HOW IT HAPPENED
LSU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-out single to center by Beau Jordan. Louisiana threatened in the bottom of the second loading the bases with no outs, but LSU starter A.J. Labas got three straight strikeouts to preserve the lead.
The Ragin' Cajuns broke through in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run bunt single by Kasuls on a suicide squeeze play to take a 2-1 edge. Cantrelle added another run later in the inning bringing home Kasuls on a two-out single to centerfield to increase the advantage to 3-1.
The Tigers would answer though in the top of the ninth with a two-out, two-run double to right centerfield by pinch hitter Austin Bain to even the contest at all 3-all.
In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Ragin' Cajuns loaded the bases with two outs after a Lahare single and walks to Kasuls and Cantrelle. Windham lifted the first pitch he saw from Bain back up the middle into centerfield for a single to give Louisiana its first walk-off win of the season.
UP NEXT
The Cajuns return to action on Friday at 6:30 p.m. as they host South Alabama in a three-game, non-conference series at Russo Park. The opening game of the series will be broadcast on Cox Sports Television and simulcast on ESPN3 outside of the CST viewing area.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow Ragin' Cajuns baseball on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
Eagles Double-Up Crusaders 10-5
STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Baseball took a 10-5 win over Holy Cross on Wednesday night to improve to 7-6 on the season. Mason McWhorter went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Matt Anderson went 2-for-3 with a run to pace the Eagles. Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Southern Miss for a three game set against the Golden Eagles.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Rodney Hennon
"The bullpen did a good job today. We obviously got off to a rough start, but I thought Braxton Johns picked us up, and all those guys threw the ball well. There are still some things that we need to clean up, we've got to get some better at bats, but the thing is that we were able to get the win. We play a very good Southern Miss team this weekend and I hope we play better baseball. We were fortunate to win tonight and not play good baseball as a whole."
SCORING PLAYS
Top 1st - Holy Cross took advantage of three walks to start the game to touch the Eagles up for three runs in the opening frame. Georgia Southern's starting pitcher Zach Strickland gave up all three runs while retiring just one out while giving up a hit before being lifted from the game.
Bottom 1st - A leadoff walk to Steven Curry started a four run first frame that gave the Eagles a 4-3 lead. Mason McWhorter drove in two with a double to left. Chandler Corley followed suit with a double of his own finding the turf when the Crusader left fielder lost the ball in the twilight sky. A wild pitch later in the inning allowed Corley to score and post four scores for the good guys.
Bottom 5th - Georgia Southern blew the game open with five in the fifth inning to take a commanding 9-3 lead. Matt Anderson doubled to start the frame, but three errors in the frame helped the Eagle cause. Mitchell Golden earned an RBI with a ground ball to first that was misplayed. Roury Glanton drove in one with his walk, while Noah Searcy knocked in a pair on a single through the left side with two outs.
Bottom 7th - Mason McWhorter opened the seventh with a triple off the Blue Monster in right, and then scoring on Chandler Corley's ground ball to third. The run pushed the Eagles to double digit runs for the first time this season.
Top 8th - A leadoff home run by Austin Masel in the eighth inning cut the lead to 10-4.
Top 9th - In the ninth inning, a leadoff walk came around to score as the Crusaders scored to make it a 10-5 lead for the Eagles.
NOTES
- Braxton Johns picked up his second victory of the season, pitching two and two thirds innings of relief to improve to 2-1 on the year. He struck out four and allowed just one hit while facing 11 batters.
- Freshman Austin Kleinlein made his his debut for the Eagles, pitching the seventh and eighth innings. He fanned two batters and gave up a home run, throwing 19 pitches in his debut outing.
- Wednesday's game was a big night for Statesboro High School with three former Blue Devils pitching for the Eagles. Braxton Johns, Griffin Davis, and Austin Kleinlein each pitched in the game, marking the first time in recent memory that three pitchers from the same high school appeared for Georgia Southern in one game.
- Mason McWhorter's 2-for-4 game featured a double and a triple and two RBIs.
UP NEXT
Georgia Southern travels to the Magnolia State for a three game set beginning on Friday evening at 7 p.m. (ET)/ 6 p.m. (CT). All three games are available on the Georgia Southern Sports Network with live streaming on Conference USA TV.