The No. 23 ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers lead from start to finish, downing the Liberty Flames, 14-6, Friday evening at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
The Chanticleers took an early advantage on a two-run home run by right fielder Connor Owings in the first inning and never relinquished the lead to take the opening game of the three-game Big South contest.
Liberty plated five runs on six hits with two outs in the eighth inning for what proved to be the final score.
Designated hitter Nick Walker, second baseman Will Shepherd and infielder Josh Barrick had two hits each for the Flames.
Liberty drops to 7-9 in Big South play and 22-24 overall. Nationally ranked Coastal Carolina snaps a three-game losing streak, improving its conference mark to 14-2 and its overall record to 32-14.
The Chanticleers jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the first on Owings’ 12th home run of the season. With left fielder Anthony Marks aboard after walking to lead off the game, Owings lifted a one-out home run into the right field bullpen to stake the visitors to an early edge.
In the fifth, Coastal Carolina sent 11 men to the plate, scoring seven runs. Two walks sandwiched around a single by second baseman Seth Lancaster loaded the bases to begin the inning. Marks followed with a bunt single for the first run of the frame. Shortstop Michael Paez followed with a RBI double off the left field wall for a 5-0 lead.
After a Liberty pitching change, a walk to third baseman Zach Remillard, a two-run single by G.K. Young and a double by first baseman Tyler Chadwick gave the Chanticleers a 9-0 lead.
Coastal Carolina plated a run in the top of the seventh on a Remillard double, while Liberty broke through in the bottom of the inning for its first run. Walker led off the home half of the seventh with a single. Two batters later, pinch runner Tray Roberts moved to second on a single by pinch hitter Barrick. Roberts then scored on a fielding error by Chanticleers’ third baseman Remillard to make it, 10-1 visitors.
After Coastal Carolina scored three in the top of the eighth, Liberty batted around in the home half of the inning. The Flames sent 11 men to plate. With two outs, Roberts tripled into the right-center field gap to score Shepherd, who opened the inning with a single. Later, Jake Barbee and Austin Bream, who entered the game as pinch hitters in the seventh inning, each singled to plate runs.
Center fielder D.J. Artis, who walked three times in the contest, drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the fourth Liberty run of the inning. Shepherd followed with a RBI single back through the middle of the diamond to make it, 13-6 Coastal Carolina.
The Chanticleers added a run in the top of the ninth on a ground out with the bases loaded for the final score of 14-6.
Liberty’s Carson Herndon falls to 3-3 on the year. The right-hander gave up six runs on four hits over 4 1/3-plus innings, He struck out four and walked four.
Right-hander Alex Cunningham moves to 7-3. He held the Flames in check over the first seven innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits. He struck out eight and walked two batters.
The Flames used five pitchers in the game, while the Chanticleers used four.
Liberty collected nine hits in the contest. Coastal Carolina had 12, including three from Lancaster.
The Flames and Chanticleers will meet again, tomorrow at Liberty Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Share
AFP
