CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and Creighton Bluejays combined to hit seven home runs and light up the scoreboard with a combined 26 runs as the home-standing Chants held on for a 14-12 win over the Bluejays on Friday night at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The win snapped a two-game skid for the Chants, while the loss ended a two-game winning streak for Creighton.
Leading the offensive surge for the Men in Teal was outfielder Chad Born (2-for-3, HR, 2B, BB, HBP, sac, 3 RBIs, 4 runs), who blasted a three-run home run in the sixth inning to put the Chants up for good, while both infielder Blake Barthol (3-for-5, HR, 2B, BB, RBI, 4 runs) and outfielder Nick Lucky (1-for-4, HR, BB, RBI, 2 runs) hit solo home runs in the win.
CCU true freshmen Caden Bodine (3-for-3, HBP, 2 BB, 2 RBIs) and Dean Mihos (3-for-4, sac, 2 runs, SB) both had three-hit nights at the plate.
Picking up the win for the Chants on the mound was super senior Jack Billings (1-0), as the righty pitched in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, giving up three runs, two of which were earned, on just one hit, one walk, one hit batter, and four strikeouts over 2.1 innings.
The save went to fellow reliever Teddy Sharkey (1), as he gave up one run on one hit, two walks, and two strikeouts over 1.2 innings of work.
The Coastal pitching struck out 12 Creighton hitters, but also walked 14 batters on the night, one off the school record for the most walks issued in a single game.
Coastal (3-2) and Creighton (2-2) will return to action for game two of the three-game weekend series tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.
