FARMVILLE, VA. – A nine-run second inning rally for No. 22 Coastal Carolina led the Chanticleers past Longwood, 11-2, and clinched the rubber match of the three-game set Saturday afternoon at Buddy Bolding Stadium.
The nationally-ranked Chanticleers trailed 1-0 in the top of the second inning and responded by sending 13 batters to the plate as a part of a nine-run rally. Coastal Carolina (13-8, 2-1 Big South) scored nine runs on just three hits with four walks, one error, and one hit batter in the inning en route to the series-clinching win against Longwood (11-9, 1-2 Big South).
"We gave them too many free passes in that second inning," Longwood head coach
Ryan Mau said after the loss. "After that inning it made things very difficult to overcome."
In the second inning the Lancers used three pitchers. Right-handed starter
Luke Simpson (0-1) pitched to six batters in the inning, all of whom scored in the rally. Simpson took the loss after allowing six runs in 1.0 innings after all six batters he faced in the half inning reached.
In the loss
Tyler Wirsu ate up innings and kept Coastal Carolina at nine runs after the second inning. Wirsu tossed 4.2 scoreless innings with a season-high four strikeouts against the power-swinging Chanticleers.
"I thought Wirsu did a great job in a difficult situation," Mau said. "He kept us around by not allowing Coastal Carolina to add on to the lead."
For Coastal Carolina Alex Cunningham (3-1) picked up the win after allowing two runs in six innings of work on three hits with five strikeouts.
Coastal Carolina swung a hot bat throughout the series, picking up a total of 11 extra-base hits in the series, nine doubles and two home runs across the three games.
Zach Remillard, the Big South leader in home runs and slugging percentage, went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the final game of the series. The slugger doubled in the sixth inning and led Coastal Carolina with six hits in the series.
In the big first inning Anthony Marks and Billy Cooke each had big hits, each picking up two-run singles with the bases loaded.
For Longwood
Michael Osinski led the way at the plate. The sophomore shortstop gave Longwood a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning.
Sammy Miller scored his first of two runs in the game on the play. Osinski leads Longwood with seven doubles on the season.
In the loss
C.J. Roth extended his team-best on-base streak to 16 games by drawing a walk in the sixth inning. Roth drew five walks in the three games, including three bases on balls in game one of Friday's doubleheader. Roth leads Longwood with a .418 on-base percentage.
Miller continued to get on base as the lead-off man in the series. Across the three games Miller was 3-for-10 with two walks and scored four runs against Coastal Carolina. Miller leads Longwood with 18 runs scored and has played in all 20 of Longwood's games.
Longwood takes Sunday off after wrapping up the three-run series Saturday and next plays Tuesday at VCU. Longwood plays the Rams in Richmond for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
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