Coastal Carolina knocks off another top 10 team in No. 3 North Carolina

Coastal Carolina dropped two of three games at Louisiana-Lafayette this past weekend to end an 11-game Sun Belt Conference series winning streak that included the first seven series this season.

So the Chanticleers, ranked 19th in the country by Baseball America, were looking to reinforce their standing on the national stage.

A win over the No. 3 team in the country should suffice.

Coastal got a two-run home run by Seth Lancaster in the first inning and shut-down performances on the mound by starter Anthony Veneziano and reliever Jay Causey of Conway to defeat North Carolina 5-2 Wednesday at Springs Brooks Stadium.

“For this particular year it’s huge," Chants coach Gary Gilmore said. "They’ve been playing exceptionally well and we needed another signature win to really kind of help elevate our resume, so to speak, to be able to get into the playoffs at the end of the year. . . . They’re probably going to be a national seed, so to be able to compete with them on an even level is huge for us.”

It’s the second win of the year over a top 10 team, as the Chants (33-16) defeated current No. 8 Clemson earlier this season at home.

North Carolina (33-14) has risen to No. 3 in the country by going 26-7 after starting the season 7-7, and is 18-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the same record Coastal has in the Sun Belt. Coastal improved to 4-2 in the last six meetings against the Tar Heels dating back to 2014.

“Tonight was huge," Sponseller said. "We stumbled a little bit this weekend, but the coaches told us in a way it was good for us. We grew up a little bit. Louisiana-Lafayette kind of exploited some areas we needed to work on. We’re just trying to get better one day at a time and I think we’re going to peak at the right time.”

Veneziano, a sophomore lefthander who hadn't pitched in three weeks despite being healthy prior to an inning Sunday at Louisiana, threw four shutout innings to improve to 5-0, allowing two hits and a walk and hitting a batter while striking out five. Coastal is 9-1 in his starts this season.

“It was huge for Veneziano coming back from his time away from us, to pitch like that and get us through four innings, and the other guys piecemeal it together," Gilmore said. “Today was a step forward for him. I thought it was a great outing by him. . . . He’s growing up. All of us grow up in different ways, in different speeds and different times, and for him it was his time. He’s moving forward and I’m very proud of him.”

Causey, a sophomore lefthander, pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for Coastal without allowing a hit, walking two and striking out three, including the final two batters of the game. He said he expected freshman closer Shaddon Peavyhouse to relieve him in the ninth, but Gilmore said he trusted Causey, who lowered his season earned-run average to 2.12, and wanted to save the rest of his bullpen for the weekend.

“Out of that bullpen he’s the most valuable pitcher we have, no doubt about it,” Gilmore said of Causey. “If we ask him to go five innings he goes five, if we need him for one he does one. He and [Matt] Eardensohn have saved us to be honest with you.”

Coastal struck for two runs through its first two batters as Cory Wood walked and Lancaster pulled a 3-2 inside breaking ball from UNC starter Taylor Sugg well beyond the right field fence for a two-run home run, his 13th dinger of the season.

“Seth getting us up early was huge," said CCU leftfielder Lee Sponseller, who had three hits and knocked in a pair of runs, each with two outs. "It just kind of takes the pressure off us in a big game like this playing a big-time team.”

Coastal added a run in the third inning when Lancaster walked and stole a base before scoring on Sponseller’s second double of the game down the right field line.

Sponseller knocked in another run in the fifth inning with a line drive single up the middle to score Lancaster, who singled, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Brandon Martorano.

“With two outs and guys on I’m not trying to do too much, put something in play hard and get the guys in,” Sponseller said.

The Chants went in order in both the sixth and seventh innings with four strikeouts against relievers Tyler Baum and Josh Hiatt, but Kieton Rivers hit his fourth homer of the season to left field off Joey Lancellotti to give the Chants an insurance run in the eighth.

“We really tried to learn a lot from this weekend. Our offense didn’t do very well so we knew we had to respond today,” said Lancaster, one of five Chants who graduated Tuesday. “My first hit as an alumni was a home run, so that’s a pretty cool memory to have.”

Veneziano got a strikeout and groundout to open the game before hitting a batter and giving up a single, then got a line-out to left field by Ike Freeman to end the inning.

In the top of the second, Ben Casparius drilled a 3-2 fastball off the wall in left center for a leadoff double but Veneziano got the next three batters with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout. The Tar Heels got a one-out walk in the third but the runner didn’t advance and Veneziano retired the side in the fourth.

Sophomore righthander and Carolina Forest High graduate Patrick Orlando took the mound in the fifth and allowed a two-run Freeman homer to left field in the sixth that cut the Coastal lead to 4-2. It was one of four hits Orlando allowed in 1 2/3 innings.

Sophomore Davie Inman got a pair of outs via strikeout while allowing a walk, and Causey closed out the game.

Causey walked pinch hitter Josh Ladowski to lead off the eighth but induced a double play turned by Wood and Lancaster up the middle and struck out Casparius looking to end the inning. He also walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth before retiring the next three batters, the final two on strikeouts.

"It felt great. It was awesome," Causey said. "It was nice to go out in the ninth. I was a closer last year in JUCO, so I’m use to the role. But they obviously trust Shaddon with that, he’s got a livelier arm than I do. I was just trying to fill up the zone and make quality pitches.”

Wednesday’s attendance of 2,616 is the ninth-best for Springs Brooks Stadium despite the game coming after graduation ceremonies last weekend and the spring semester being complete.

Coastal has six games remaining in the regular season before the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Lafayette, La., from May 22-27. It hosts Little Rock for three games Friday through Sunday, with Friday’s game starting at 2 p.m., and travels to Appalachian State next weekend.

“We needed this win," Causey said. "It’s a morale booster in the locker room. It makes everybody come to practice with a smile on their face the next day.”

This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Coastal Carolina knocks off another top 10 team in No. 3 North Carolina."