Explosive first inning pushes Chanticleers to dominant win over Stetson
Coastal Carolina returned to its winning ways on Thursday, overpowering Stetson in an 11-2 win at Springs-Brooks Stadium.
The Chanticleers pounced early and often on the Hatters, erupting for eight runs in the first inning.
Anthony Marks led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Michael Paez. Designated hitter G.K. Young fouled out, but Zach Remillard's single to left center scored Marks.
Following a Connor Owings single, Chadwick homered for the second time this season to put the Chants ahead 4-0.
Billy Cooke walked and came home on Seth Lancaster's first homer of the year, Matt Beaird reached on a throwing error by Hatters shortstop Matt Morales, and Marks took a walk to set up Paez's two-RBI double and give Coastal Carolina a 8-0 lead.
“You give any good college team five, six, seven outs in an inning, you’re going to be in trouble,” Coastal Carolina coach Gary Gilmore said. “We’ve had it happen to us.”
Holmes, a right hander, improved to 2-1 with the win. The sophomore scattered nine hits over seven innings with five strikeouts, one walk and no earned runs.
Tyler Chadwick was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and four RBIs for Coastal Carolina, which has won nine of its last 13 games.
The game was the first-ever meeting between Coastal Carolina (14-9) and Stetson, which plays in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
“(Holmes) is just now starting to get into the grove,” Gilmore said. “That was the most on time, calmest his body’s been all season. He threw a lot of strikes compared to what he had been throwing and the result was very good.”
Mitchell Jordan, who was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Cape Cod League last summer, lasted less than an inning for the Hatters, giving up six runs on six hits.
“We knew coming in that (Jordan) was going to be pretty challenging,” Chadwick said. “I think he was the MVP of the Cape, hadn't given up many if any runs at all. ...We knew he was going to come after us, be challenging.”
“Getting out to eight runs in the first isn’t something you are going to do every day, but I definitly helped (Holmes) settle in, I think.”
The series continues Friday at 2 p.m. Alex Cunningham is expected to start for Coastal Carolina, while Stetson will send right-hander Brooks Wilson to the mound.
This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 10:23 PM with the headline "Explosive first inning pushes Chanticleers to dominant win over Stetson."