No. 17 Chants Hold Off No. 14 Camels for 5-3 Road Win

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - In a matchup of two of the top offensive teams in the nation, the pitching stood out on Tuesday night as the No. 17 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers defeated the No. 14 Campbell Fighting Camels 5-3 in non-conference midweek action in Buies Creek, N.C.

With the win, the Chants improved to 21-10 overall on the year, while the loss dropped Campbell to 25-7 on the season.

Two of the top-10 nationally ranked offenses were held to a combined eight runs on nine hits. All five of Coastal’s base hits were extra-base hits, four doubles and one home run, while all four of Campbell’s base knocks were singles.

The Chants scored their five runs on a solo home run, a Campbell throwing error, two sacrifice flies, and a wild pitch. The Camels scored their first run on a hit batter with the bases loaded and the next two runs on wild pitches.

Coastal’s offensive output came from five different players, as sophomore Orlando Pena (1-for-2, 2B, SF, BB, RBI, run) drove in a run and scored a run, while redshirt sophomore Chad Born (1-for-3, HR, BB, RBI, 2 runs) hit a home run and scored two runs.

Fellow Chants Nick Lucky (1-for-3, 2B, SB, BB, RBI), Zack Beach (1-for-4, 2B, run), and Ty Dooley (1-for-4, 2B) each had a double at the plate in the win.

Campbell’s four hits came from Bryce Arnold (1-for-3, 2 BB), Jarrod Belbin (1-for-5, run, SB), Drake Pierson (1-for-3, HBP, RBI), and Trenton Harris (1-for-3, HBP, run).

Making his first career start, Liam Doyle (1-0) picked up the win on the designated staff day as the true freshman gave up just one hit and fanned a career-high seven hitters over 3.2 innings of work.

Picking up his sixth save of the season was Teddy Sharkey (6), as the junior slammed the door on the Camels with five strikeouts over 2.1-scoreless innings down the stretch.

Overall, five Coastal Carolina pitchers struck out 15 Campbell hitters and did not allow an extra-base hit.

The loss fell to Campbell starter Hunter Loyd (2-4). Loyd, who was also handed the loss at Coastal back on March 14, allowed five runs, three of which were earned, on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts over 6.0 innings. He also threw five wild pitches.

CCU’s Doyle was dominant on the mound from the very first hitter, as he struck out the side in the first inning, fanned two more hitters in the second frame, and sent the Camels down in order again in the bottom of the third inning.

Unlike in the loss on Monday night, the Chanticleers got on the scoreboard early on Tuesday, as Born blasted his fifth home run of the season way out of the ballpark in the top of the second inning to put the visitors in Teal up 1-0.

Coastal added to its lead in the next at-bat, as Pena led off the third inning with a double to the left-center field gap. Looking to move him up 90 feet to third base, Payton Eeles laid down a bunt and raced down the first base line. The throw from the Campbell catcher sailed into right field to allow Pena to score and Eeles to motor all the way around to third base.

Two batters later, Lucky hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field to plate Eeles and extend the Coastal lead to 3-0 midway through the third inning.

With Doyle continuing his dominance on the mound, the Men in Teal struck again in the top of the fourth inning. CCU’s Beach led off the inning with a double down the right-field line and then came around to score on two wild pitches to push the lead to 4-0.

Following a strikeout, a walk, and a wild pitch, Dooley dropped a high pop-up onto the outfield turf for a standup double to put runners on second and third for Pena, who hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Born from third and put the score at 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.

Neither team would score until the sixth inning when Campbell got on the scoreboard to cut into the Coastal lead. The Camels took advantage of a lead-off single, two walks, a hit batter, and a wild pitch to plate two runs and trimmed the Coastal lead to three at 5-2 with three innings to play.

Coastal again aided the Campbell offense to a run in the bottom of the seventh on three hit batters, a walk, and two wild pitches before Sharkey, who entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded, ending the inning with a punch out of Lawson Harrill to keep the Chants in front at 5-3 heading into the eighth inning.

Sharkey shut the door on the Camels with a 1-2-3 eighth inning and then pitched around a two-out walk in the ninth inning, striking out the tying run at home plate to end the game.

Coastal (21-10, 9-3 Sun Belt) and Campbell (25-7, 11-1 Big South) will remain on the road to take on Old Dominion in Sun Belt Conference play on April 14-16 in Norfolk, Va.