Coastal Carolina falls to Rider at Conway Regional in extra innings

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - The Chanticleers jumped out in front of the Rider Broncs but a struggle with relief pitching led to the Broncs defeating CCU in their first game of the Conway Regional on Friday night.

With two outs, Zach Beach hit an RBI single putting CCU up 1-0 at the bottom of the second.

Chants freshman pitcher Liam Doyle kept Rider off the board while hitters for CCU were able to tally two more runs in the fourth.

Graham Brown added another one after a home run in the fifth.

Doyle exited the game after six innings, a no-hitter with a career-high nine strikeouts, passing the ball to redshirt sophomore relief pitcher Will Smith.

When Smith struggled to get out of the 7th inning, Coastal Carolina called in pitcher Darin Horn from the bullpen with bases loaded and only a single out.

The Broncs used the pitching change to bring in 9 runs, the most runs CCU has allowed in a single inning this season.

After loading the bases for a second time in the inning, the Broncs scored two more runs ending Horn’s time in the game.

Making his 16th appearance this season Junior pitcher Colin Yablonski entered the game as the third CCU pitcher of the inning.

Rider’s Jordan Erbe hit the ball to centerfield and CCU’s Chad Born caught the ball to end the Broncs’ hot streak and close the top of the 7th inning with the Riders leading 9-5.

CCU’s hitters did not let up, as Ty Dooley hit a fastball for a 2-run homerun to help close the gap, 9-7 at the bottom of the 7th.

Yablonski was able to keep the Broncs from scoring any runs in the top of the 8th and CCU’s Derek Bender scored on an RBI single from Caden Bodine at the bottom to bring the score within a run.

After an error by the Broncs in the bottom of the 9th led to CCU with runners on second and third, the Riders intentionally walked Bodine which brought Nick Lucky up to bat. Lucky hit to the Riders outfielders and allowed CCU’s runner on third to score and tie the game sending the game into extra innings.

Teddy Sharkey came out to pitch for the Chants in the top of the 10th inning and with runners in scoring position, Riders’ Erbe made it 10-9 for the Broncs. The Riders added one more run before ending the inning, 11-9.

CCU’s Brown swung at the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th and had two outfielders tracking the ball to the right-side foul line where it dropped allowing him a 2-run hit. Dooley hit a sacrifice fly ball out to center field allowing CCU to bring the game back within one run, 11-10.

Riders however would hold off the Chants and take their first NCAA tournament win since 1987.

Rider will now face Duke, who defeated UNC Wilmington in Friday’s earlier matchup, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

UNC Wilmington will face Coastal in Saturday’s earlier game at noon in an elimination game.

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