Behind two home runs in the second inning and a six-run sixth inning, Coastal Carolina University defeated James Madison University 12-2 in a run-rule victory at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The James Madison Dukes opened the scoring in the second inning after loading the bases. Catcher Ryan Gocio brought in a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Dukes a 1-0 lead.
Coastal responded in the bottom half of the inning.
Outfielder Rex Watson tied the game with a home run, followed by outfielder Dean Mihos with a three-run shot to put the Chanticleers ahead 4-1.
Kenny Dehu, a fan in the stands from Fayetteville, North Carolina, recognized the shift.
“Kinda felt like once that first one went out, the energy picked up,” Dehu said. “After that, it just felt like Coastal had control.”
James Madison threatened again in the fourth, but Coastal turned a double play – its 20th of the season – to get out of the inning and keep the lead.
Coastal added another run in the inning. After getting runners on base, infielder Blake Barthol drove in a run with a single to extend the lead to 5-2.
On the mound, pitcher Luke Jones settled in after the second inning. He worked through a powerful JMU lineup and limited their scoring chances.
“Jones stayed composed even when JMU had chances,” Elijah Wardlaw, a sophomore business major at Coastal Carolina said from the stands. “He just kept throwing strikes and let the defense help him, and they got out of the inning.”
The Chanticleers broke the game open in the sixth inning, scoring six runs. Designated hitter Trace Mazon doubled, and Barthol followed with an RBI single. Barthol later advanced to third on an errant throw to first.
Infielder Walker Mitchell added an RBI double, followed by RBI doubles from both outfielder Blagen Pado and first baseman Colby Thorndyke to extend the lead to 11-2.
“It felt like the bats finally came alive today,” Alexander Hart, a senior journalism and sports media major at Coastal Carolina said in the stands. “That’s something that’s been missing, but they were able to string hits together and keep pressure on their pitching.”
Watson ended the game in the seventh inning with a walk-off to secure the 12-2 run-rule victory.
Coastal looks to extend their lead in the three-game series against James Madison, playing Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22.
