Chants Earn the Series Win Over Troy with 7-3 Saturday Victory

TROY, Ala. – Coastal Carolina’s offense doubled up the Troy Trojans in both runs and hits in a 7-3 win on Saturday afternoon at Riddle-Pace Field to take the series win over the Trojans.

The Chants moved to 32-16-1 overall and 18-7-1 in the Sun Belt with the win, while the loss dropped Troy to 29-20 and 13-13 in league play. The Saturday win handed the Chants their sixth Sun Belt series win of the season and fifth straight after being swept at home by Georgia State on April 8-10.

Michael Knorr (5-0) picked up his fifth win of the season on his sixth quality start, as the senior right-handed hurler allowed just two runs on four hits, one walk, one hit batter, and three strikeouts over 6.0-complete innings. In the outing, he had three 1-2-3 frames.

Fellow transfer Elliot Carney (4) picked up the save by pitching the final three innings in the win. The super senior gave up one run on two hits, one walk, and five strikeouts over 3.0 innings out of the bullpen.

The loss fell to Troy freshman starter Brady Fuller (4-3), as the spot starter was hit up for six runs, five of which were earned, on eight hits, one walk, one wild pitch, and one strikeout in 4.0 innings of work.

The offense was led by four different Chants that had multiple hits for the game led by three base hits from Eric Brown (3-for-5, RBI, run, SB) and two hits each from Nick Lucky (2-for-4, 2B, SF, 2 RBIs), Christopher Rowan, Jr. (2-for-3, 2 HBP, RBI, run), and Graham Brown (2-for-5).

The Trojans were led by the duo of Easton Kirk (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run) and Trey Leonard (1-for-4, HR, RBI, run) who each had a solo home run, while lead-off hitter Jesse Hall (1-for-4, 2B, RBI) had an RBI-double.

The Coastal offense stayed hot early on Saturday, as the visitors jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI-single by Rowan, Jr. and an RBI-double off the 30-foot wall in right field from Lucky.

Following a seven-pitch, 1-2-3 inning by Knorr in the bottom of the first, the Chants tacked on another run in the top of the second on an RBI, two-out single, off the bat of red-hot Eric Brown to extend the lead to 3-0 midway through the second inning.

However, Troy got one run back in the bottom of the second on a lead-off solo home from Kirk and threatened to push across some more runs on a walk and single, yet saw a double-play and a strikeout by Knorr end the inning with the Chants still on top at 3-1.

While Knorr cruised through the third inning with just five pitches, the Chants continued to hit and score in the top of the fourth. Matt McDermott and Austin White posted back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners before the pair then perfectly executed a double steal with McDermott sliding in safely at home to push the lead to 5-1.

The Chants added another run in the top of the fourth inning on a Lucky sacrifice fly to put the Men in Teal in front by five at 6-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

Troy got on the scoreboard again in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back two-out hits from Clay Stearns and Hall, with Hall’s double off the right-field wall scoring Stearns from first base to put the score at 6-2 with four innings to play.

Coastal stranded two runners on base in the sixth and one more in the seventh before the Trojans hit their second home run of the game, a solo home run over the monster wall in right field by Leonard to trim the Chants’ lead to three at 6-3 heading into the eighth inning.

Neither team would score in the eighth frame, with Carney striking out the side for the Chants, before the visitors in teal took advantage of a walk, single, and Troy throwing error in the top of the ninth to add an insurance run at 7-3.

Carney pitched around a one-out single in the ninth to secure the 7-3 road win.

Coastal Carolina will go for the series sweep over Troy tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET at Riddle-Pace Field.