Despite a three-hit afternoon for first baseman Andrew Yacyk, the No. 23 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers defeated the Liberty Flames, 12-3, Saturday afternoon at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
Liberty’s Yacyk went 3-for-4 with a double and scored a run in the Big South Conference contest. The Flames’ first baseman records his eighth three-hit game and his 15th multi-hit contest of the year.
Liberty drops to 7-10 in Big South play and 22-25 overall. The Flames have lost three-straight contests. Nationally ranked and Big South-leading Coastal Carolina moves to 15-2 in conference and 33-14 overall.
After leading from start to finish in Friday’s contest, the Chanticleers led from the first inning on in game two of the three-game series, Saturday. A bases-loaded walk to first baseman Tyler Chadwick forced in a run to give Coastal Carolina a 1-0 edge in the game’s opening inning.
The visitors’ extended their advantage with three in the second. Left fielder Anthony Marks drove in the first run of the inning with a one-out RBI single and then scored on a wild pitch for a 3-0 Chanticleers’ lead. Shortstop Michael Paez and right fielder Connor Owings followed with back-to-back doubles to make it, 4-0 Coastal Carolina.
After center fielder Billy Cooke hit a solo home run in the third, his second of the year, Coastal Carolina built its lead to 9-0 in the fourth. Third baseman Zach Remillard’s 12th home run of the season, a single by Cooke and two-run home run by second baseman Seth Lancaster, his fourth, plated runs for the Chanticleers.
Liberty scored its only runs of the contest in the home half of the fourth. Yacyk opened the bottom half of the inning with a double off the center field wall and scored on a double by shortstop Dalton Britt. Two batters later, third baseman Andrew Kowalo singled back through the middle of the diamond to plate Britt. The Flames then made it, 9-3, when Kowalo scored on a throwing error by Coastal Carolina second baseman Lancaster on an attempt to get center fielder D.J. Artis on an infield hit.
The Chanticleers added three runs in the fifth. A two-out double by Remillard and a two-run home run by designated hitter G.K. Young, his 12th of the year, extended Coastal Carolina’s lead to what proved to be the final score of 12-3.
Liberty starter Parker Bean falls to 1-1 on the year. The first of five Flames to pitch in the contest, Bean gave up four runs on five hits over 1 1/3-plus innings. He walked three batters.
Coastal Carolina starter Andrew Beckwith allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings, running his record to 8-1 on the year. He struck out seven and walked one.
Chanticleers’ right-hander Zack Hopeck did not allow a run over the last three innings to record his first save of the year.
Coastal Carolina outhit Liberty, 16-8. Cooke led all players in the contest with four hits.
Liberty and Coastal Carolina will wrap-up their three-game Big South series tomorrow afternoon at Liberty Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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