Box Score
CONWAY, SC – The fourth-ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers defeated the Winthrop Eagles 20-3 in the first game of a three-game series on Saturday evening at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field in Big South Conference action.
The Eagles fall 21-23 on the season and 9-10 in the Big South, while the Chanticleers improve to 40-6 overall and 18-0 in conference play.
Robert Lake (4-4) took the loss in the opener tossing 5.0 innings and allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits, no walks and five strikeouts. Anthony Meo (10-1) hurled 7.0 innings and surrendered one run on four hits, one walk and eight strikeouts to pick up the win on the mound.
“It was an embarrassing ballgame,” said head coach Joe Hudak. “We just didn't do anything well tonight.”
Coastal Carolina struck for three runs in the bottom of the first against Lake to take a 3-0 lead. Scott Woodward scored the first run of the inning on a wild pitch by Lake and Adam Rice followed with an RBI double to center field. Daniel Bowman then reached on an error by Sean Sullivan in right field and Rice came home in the process.
Winthrop made it a 3-1 game after Chas Crane began the second inning with a solo home run to left field for his 10th of the season, but the Chanticleers responded with four more runs heading into the sixth inning to increase their lead to 7-1. Steve Davis, Woodward and Tommy La Stella all posted an RBI each in the three-run second inning. La Stella gave Coastal Carolina a 7-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with his leadoff homer off the scoreboard in right field.
The Chanticleers posted another three spot in the sixth inning to add to their lead at 10-1. Rico Noel started the scoring with RBI single to center field that followed a leadoff triple by Steve Davis. Jose Iglesias then drove in Noel with an RBI single three batters later and Woodward came home when La Stella hit into a double play.
Coastal Carolina broke the game open driving eight runs across the plate in the seventh inning to go ahead 18-1 over the Eagles. The inning was highlighted by Josh Conway's pinch-hit grand slam with no outs, while Chance Gilmore drove in one run during the inning and Taylor Motter had a two RBI double.
Josh Keener gave the Chanticleers a 20-1 advantage over Winthrop with his two RBI single to left field against Tyler Fries with two outs.
The Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to make it a 20-3 game after Eddie Rohan scored on a wild pitch by Coastal Carolina reliever Jim Birmingham and Tyler McBride drew a bases loaded walk.
Four different Winthrop batters had one hit apiece in the series opener, while Crane and McBride drove in both runs. Rice and Gilmore had three hits each for the Chanticleers and Conway had a team-high four RBI.
The Eagles and Coastal Carolina will resume their series on Sunday, May 9 with a 2 p.m. matchup.
