Coastal Baseball drops Sunday’s rubber game at No. 9 Texas State

SAN MARCOS, TX – The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers scored three runs in the first inning and five runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-1 lead but saw the nationally ranked 9th-ranked Texas State Bobcats score the next 12 contest points for defeating the Chanticleers. 13-9 in Sunday’s rubber game at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, Texas.

The loss dropped CCU to 13-9-1 overall and 2-3-1 in conference, while with the win the Bobcats moved to 20-5 overall and atop the Sun Belt standings at 5 -1 in the league.

Neither starter went past three innings, nor considered the decision as it became an early bullpen game. UCC starter Michael Knorrwho returned from a few weeks absence with injury, allowed just one run on three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts in 3.0 complete innings, while Tony Robie of Texas State allowed four runs on five hits and two strikeouts. over 3.0 innings pitched.

The difference was in the bullpen, as CCU’s bullpen was hit for 12 runs on eight hits, seven walks and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. The Texas State bullpen gave up five runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits, three walks and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched.

Designated hitter Tyler Johnson (4 for 4, 2 HR, BB, 4 RBI, 2 runs) led the offense with four hits, including a pair of home runs, marking the second time in less than a week that he hit two at the home runs in the same game, making it first on Tuesday, March 22, at No. 20 Clemson.

UCC Dale Thomas (2 for 5, HR, RBI, 2 runs) and lucky nick (2 for 5, RBI, run) each had two hits and an RBI, with Thomas hitting his team-leading eighth home run of the season. starter friend Matt McDermott (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, run) had a double and an RBI, while the catcher Tanners Garrison (2 for 4, run) added two hits in the loss.

Texas State had eight different Bobcats record a hit in the win from behind led by Justin Thompson (2 for 5, HR, 2G, 3 RBI, rush), John Wuthrich (1 for 4, HR, BB, 3 RBI, 2 runs) and Peyton Lewis (1 for 1, 2G, BB, 3 RBI) who all had three RBIs.

With an at-bat, the Chanticleers pounced on the Bobcats in the top of the first inning, as Johnson followed back-to-back singles from Lucky and Thomas with a monster home run off the 405-foot wall in center field to put the visitors ahead at 3-0.

After Knorr threw a walk in the first inning and a pair of hits in the second period as he retired the side in each of the first two innings, the Bobcats took advantage of the wind blowing to right field on a home run in solo. shortstop Dalton Shuffield late in the third to cut the Coastal lead to two at 3-1.

The Chants would open play in the top of the fourth, as Johnson threw his second home run of the game to right center field to start the big inning. Three batters later, McDermott laced an RBI double just inside the left field line, which was followed by a Austin White sacrifice steal to right field.

The inning was kept alive by an error from Texas State’s first baseman, which allowed another runner to score before Lucky hit a single to right field to tackle another run and drive the visitor lead to seven at 8-1.

Refusing to go, the Bobcats took the lead late in the fifth inning, as Thompson hit a three-run homer above the batter’s eye in center field to cut the Chants’ lead to four to 8. -4 with four innings to go.

The scoring continued for the Bobcats at home in the next inning, as Cameron Gibbons had an RBI brace down the right-field line which was followed by a single off Ben McClain’s stick to score two more points and close the gap at 8-7.

The inning continued with a Shuffield single before Wuthrich hit a three-run home run into the net over the left field wall to put the home side ahead 10-8 in six innings. .

The Chants offense blocked two runners in the fifth inning and one runner each in the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn’t find the offense they had through the first four innings of the contest until a Solo home run by Thomas in the top of the ninth.

Texas State capped off the victory with a double-loaded double, two outs and punting on the wall into right-center field by Lewis to give the Bobcats 13 points in the series-clinching victory.

Both teams left seven runners on base for the game.

Coastal will continue its eight-game road trip to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Wednesday, March 30. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.

For complete CCU baseball coverage, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBaseball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram), or visit the Official Home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.