Baseball loses to Coastal Carolina

Conway, S.C. – Scott Woodward registered three hits and scored four runs to lead No. 18 Coastal Carolina to an 18-4 win over UAlbany in the middle contest of a three-game non-conference baseball weekend set at Watson Stadium on Saturday, March 22.

Coastal Carolina (17-4) got on the board with four runs in the top of the second inning. With two outs, Rico Noel doubled down the left field line to drive in a pair of runs. David Sappelt followed with a double to right field to plate Noel and David Anderson pushed across Sappelt two batters later with a single. Jose Iglesias tallied a run in the fifth for the Chanticleers as he was driven home on a sacrifice fly by Derek Martin.

UAlbany (4-13-1) answered back with a pair of runs in the fourth and a single run in the fifth. Junior catcher Ryan Gugel led off the fourth with a double and came around to score on senior designated hitter Mike Konstanty’s double to center. After a single by junior shortstop Sean Donovan, Konstanty scored on a double play. In the fifth, junior centerfielder Dave West singled with two outs and scored on Gugel’s double to right field. The Great Danes loaded the bases, but relief pitcher Joey Haug induced an inning-ending groundout to end the rally.

The Chanticleers scored 13 runs over the next three innings to put the game out of reach. They tallied four runs in the fifth, a pair in the sixth and seven in the seventh frame. Adam Rice drove in two runs in the fifth with a single up the middle to give Coastal Carolina a 9-3 lead. Iglesias highlighted the sixth with a solo home run to center field.

UAlbany scored its final run of the game on a groundout by Donovan to drive in sophomore Brendan Rowland. Coastal Carolina closed out the scoring with seven runs in the seventh frame. Dustin King capped the frame with a double to right center to knock in two runs and closed out the game’s scoring by crossing the plate on a fielding error.

Junior southpaw Cory Warrings took the loss for the Great Danes, yielding five runs on 10 hits over three innings. Haug registered his second win of the season by striking out two over 1.3 scoreless innings.

Gugel and Rowland each registered two hits and a run in the contest for the Great Danes. UAlbany and Coastal Carolina play the final game of the series on Sunday, March 22 at 1 p.m.