GWU Falls To No. 9 Coastal Carolina, 8-2, Friday Night
April 17, 2010 | Baseball
FOREST CITY, N.C. - No. 9 Coastal Carolina plated five runs in
the final three innings Friday night to break open a close game and
take an 8-2 victory over Gardner-Webb at McNair Field.
The Chanticleers (30-5, 9-0 Big South) won their 11th game in
a row, and got a complete-game pitching performance from ace Cody
Wheeler. The southpaw fanned seven, walked two and allowed just two
runs on five hits.
Coastal went up 2-0 in the first, and scored the first run
without the benefit of a base hit. Leadoff man Rico Noel was hit by
a pitch, the stole second despite a pickoff throw to first base.
That throw went awry and the speedy Noel raced all the way around
to score from second. Scott Woodward then walked, stole second and
scored on an Adam Rice single before GWU starter Brett Stackhouse
could retire the side.
Stackhouse settled down, holding the Chants scoreless in the
second and third innings, but a solo home run from Steve Davis in
the fourth pushed Coastal's lead to 3-0.
Gardner-Webb (16-17, 5-5 Big South) responded in the bottom
half, as Daniel Merck was hit by a pitch and Kurt Fulginiti
launched a two-run home run - his sixth of the season - over the
wall in left to trim the lead to 3-2.
Neither team scored until the seventh inning, when Tommy La
Stella rolled a two-run single through the rght side with the bases
loaded to put Coastal Carolina in front 5-2. The Chants plated two
more runs in the eighth and Daniel Bowman blasted a solo home run
to lead off the top of the ninth for the final margin.
Five different players - Aaron Miller, Merck, Fulginiti, Josh
Drewery and Zeke Blanton - had one of Gardner-Webb's five hits on
the night. Stackhouse (1-2) took the loss, allowing five earned
runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings of work.
Woodward, La Stella and Rice each had two of Coastal
Carolina's 12 hits in the game. The Chants were a perfect 8-for-8
in stolen bases on the night, with Woodward swiping three
bags.
The two teams will meet again Saturday at 2:00 pm at McNair
Field. Fans bringing a pair of gently used or new shoes to the gate
will receive free admission in exchange for supporting the charity
Samaritan's Feet, which provides shoes for needy individuals around
the globe (samaritansfeet.org).
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