In a mercy-rule win over the University of Washington, 2,082 fans filled Springs Brooks Stadium to watch the team go 11-1 on Feb. 16, wrapping up Baseball at the Beach weekend 3-0.
Over the weekend, the Chanticleers won 11-1 against St. Joseph’s University Feb. 14, and 8-2 against Kansas State University on Feb. 15. The Chanticleers outscored both by 15 runs in front of 5,664 fans in their first two games of the season.
The Chants made scoring a trend with their second mercy-rule win in three games.
Senior Riley Eikhoff pitched a complete game for the Chants. The offense recognized his effort with a seven-run sixth inning, cutting Eikhoff’s night two innings short.
The Chants kept the pressure with 18 baserunners across the shortened game. A mix of busy base paths and power surges left Washington with few answers. Six of the 12 CCU hits were for extra bases, and half of those were home runs.
The Huskies and the Chants were neck and neck as both starting pitchers struck out the lead hitters with only three pitches each. to start both halves of the first inning. This set a tone for a pitcher’s duel until the Chants offense awakened. CCU’s ninth batter, Walker Mitchell with two outs, sparked the offense with their first hit in the bottom of the third inning.
For two runs, infielder Dean Mihos attacked the very next pitch and slugged a home run into a fan’s lap sitting behind the left field wall. Eikhoff then threw a nine-pitch fourth inning to keep the momentum alive. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Sebastion Alexander and Colby Throndyke matched doubles, putting CCU up 3-0.
Sun Belt Preseason All American catcher Cadine Bodine cleared the basepath by throwing out the Washington leadoff hitter in the fifth inning. Eikhoff then forced shutout innings in the fifth and sixth innings with back-to-back strikeouts.
Bodine was perfect behind the plate, throwing out two runners at second base. He allowed only one stolen base in Coastal’s first three games.
Mitchell, in action again, forced a pitching change with a two-run home run, tallying Coastal’s score at an even ten.
Washington’s Jace Evangelista stopped the offensive surge, collecting three outs without surrendering a run.Eikhoff got two outs in five pitches before Washington three-hitter Casen Taggart hit a solo home run, ceasing the mercy run limit of losing by 10 runs or more after the seventh inning.
Alexander and Throndyke reached second and third base with no outs. Washington got a three-pitch strikeout to slow the offense down.
Dooley chopped a ground ball to the second baseman, and Alexander slid headfirst into home plate before Washington’s catcher tagged him. Washington’s head coach unsuccessfully reviewed the call, resulting in Coastal baseball ending their Baseball at the Beach tournament weekend 3-0.
Coastal baseball will return to home plate Feb. 17 at 3:30 p.m. to build off their fresh 3-0 season.
