Box Score: Coastal 14, ULM 4

CONWAY, S.C. – No. 16 Coastal Carolina pounded out 13 hits, with eight going for extra bases including three home runs, en route to a 14-4 victory over ULM Friday night (April 27) to open a three-game Sun Belt series at Springs Brooks Stadium. The Chanticleers took advantage of 12 walks issued by ULM pitchers, with seven of those base runners coming around to score.
 
ULM (18-23, 7-12 Sun Belt) got off to a quick start as Johnny DeLaCruz and Braedon Barrett opened the game with back-to-back doubles off CCU right-hander Zack Hopeck. DeLaCruz scored on an RBI groundout to shortstop by Turner Frances and Barrett scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Chad Bell to give the Warhawks a 2-0 lead.
 
ULM right-hander Chase Beal struggled with pitch location from the start. Cory Wood led off the bottom of the first with a double down the first-base line. Beal retired the next two batters before issuing back-to-back walks, but he got out of the bases loaded jam with a strikeout against Parker Chavers.
 
Coastal Carolina (29-14, 15-4) scored the next 10 runs, including six in the bottom of the second as the Chanticleers sent nine men to the plate. With out one, Matt Beaird doubled to right center and Keaton Weisz followed with a two-run homer to left-center field to tie the game at 2-2. After Wood walked and Seth Lancaster singled to center, Kevin Woodall Jr. delivered a two-run double down the left-field line, giving CCU a 4-2 lead and chasing Beal from the game. ULM reliever Richard Hebert retired the first batter he faced before surrendering a two-run home run to Kieton Rivers.
 
The Chanticleers added a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly to center by Weisz to extend their lead to 7-2 lead.
 
CCU broke the game open, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 10-2 advantage. Hebert walked the first three hitters before exiting the game. Rivers greeted ULM reliever Kyle Backofen with an RBI single through the left side. With one out, Backofen walked Cameron Pearcey with the bases loaded, forcing in a run, and Beaird followed with a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
ULM cut its deficit to 10-4 by scoring twice in the top of the fifth. The Warhawks got back-to-back singles from Pierce Khan and DeLaCruz to open the inning. Barrett executed a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third. Khan scored on another RBI groundout by Francis, and DeLaCruz came home on a two-out RBI single through the middle by Bell.
 
Coastal got a run back in the bottom of the fifth to build an 11-4 lead. Wood drew a lead-off walk and advance to second on a single to right field by Lancaster. With one out, the runners moved up on a double steal before Zach Biermann picked up an RBI on a groundout to first base.
 
The Chanticleers closed out the scoring in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch hitter Turner Buis produced a lead-off single through the right side and pinch hitter Tor Sehnert drew a walk before Pearcey hit his first home run of the season, a three-run blast over the left-field wall.
 
"This is the first time in a while that we haven't pitched really, really well," ULM head coach Mike Federico said. "Last weekend, we had a tremendous weekend on the mound … all three games. Tonight, the pitching didn't show up. You wonder if the travel played a factor, especially when you've got a big guy like Chase Beal (6-6, 241) on the bus for 13 hours. So, it's tough from that standpoint. I'm disappointed in the performance that he had, but at the same time, we still had our chances in the game.
 
"Offensively, we had some quality at-bats and pressured them a little bit. However, you give up 13 hits and give them 12 free bases, it's hard to beat any team, let alone an offensive team that leads the conference in virtually every hitting category. Coastal also got a couple of big hits, including three home runs, that resulted in big innings.
 
"It's a beautiful ballpark, but the field isn't real big," Federico continued. "I had heard the ball flies out of here, and that's the way they recruit. Coastal definitely has the righties and lefties in their lineup that have power. You have to circle the guys in the middle of their lineup, but tonight, it was the guys in the 8- and 9-holes that beat us."
 
Hopeck picked up the win and improved to 4-3 on the season, allowing four runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings with one walk and five strikeouts. CCU relievers Davie Inman and Patrick Orlando combined to pitch four scoreless innings and didn't allow a hit.
 
Beal (2-6) took the loss after surrendering five runs on five hits in 1.1 innings, with three walks and two strikeouts.
 
Backofen worked 4.1 innings in relief for ULM and allowed four runs on seven hits, with four walks and four strikeouts.
 
"Kyle Backofen came in and threw exceptionally well," Federico said. "He hadn't pitched in a long time, but he competed very well."
 
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday, April 28 at 1 p.m. CT at Springs Brooks Stadium. Left-hander Trey Jeans (2-3, 5.19 ERA) earns the start for ULM while CCU counters with right-hander Jason Bilous (5-1, 3.61 ERA).
 
"The encouraging thing for us is we get to play immediately … early tomorrow afternoon," Federico said. "Even though we got blitzed pretty good here tonight with a 14-4 loss, there were some positives and those give us hope, especially from an offensive standpoint. We also played an errorless game. The bottom line is we've got to play better."