No. 19 CCU tops ULM, 4-1, to even series

MONROE, La. – No. 19 Coastal Carolina struck for three runs in the top of the first inning as the Chanticleers rode the big inning to a 4-1 win over ULM Friday night at Lou St. Amant Field to tie the series.

Sam Antonacci was hit by a pitch to open the game and stole second base. Blake Barthol bunted for a hit and moved Antonacci to third. Derek Bender followed with an RBI single to plate Antonacci for the 1-0 lead. Caden Bodine hit an RBI groundout to bring in Barthol and Graham Brown collected an RBI single to push the lead to 3-0.

ULM starting pitcher Beau Blanchard (1-2) settled in after giving up the big inning, retiring the next 10 batters he faced to close his outing. He threw four innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts while suffering the loss.

The Warhawks had runners on base all night but were unable to push them across the plate. ULM had 10 hits, while CCU committed four errors, walked two batters and hit another, but the Warhawks stranded 12 runners on base.

ULM had its first scoring chance in the third inning, putting runners on first and third base with one out. Easton Winfield’s sacrifice bunt with the safety squeeze on came down the third base line, preventing Matt Abshire from scoring from third, but moved Kade Dupont from first to second. Colby Lunsford then struck out to end the inning.

CCU added an insurance run in the sixth inning, as Jake Books’ RBI single brought in Derek Bender for the 4-0 lead.

ULM put the first two men on base in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, CCU starting pitcher Riley Eikhoff (2-0) recorded a strikeout, flyout and groundout on the next three batters to end the frame. In the sixth, Bryce Shaffer entered out of the pen and picked up two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat.

The Warhawks put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth inning, but Shaffer picked up another strikeout to retire the side.

In the ninth inning, ULM finally broke through. Dupont led off the inning with a single and moved to third on an error, allowing Lunsford to reach safely. Another error brought in Dupont and moved Lunsford to second as Weatherbee reached safely. However, Bryce Blaser hit a soft liner to third against Henry Weycker. Antonacci made the catch and doubled off Lunsford at second base to end the game.

Eikhoff threw five shutout innings in the start, scattering seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Shaffer threw 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen for CCU, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts while Weycker recorded the final two outs. Behind Blanchard, Justin Robinson threw three innings for ULM, giving up one run on four hits with four strikeouts. Carson Orton and Dalton Hitt each threw a scoreless inning to round out the game.

Offensively, Bender, Brown and Books had two hits and an RBI each for CCU. ULM was led by two hits each from Winfield, Blaser, Abshire and Dupont.

The series finale is at 11 a.m. Saturday at Lou St. Amant Field.