Coastal Carolina Wins 7-5 in 12 at ULM

MONROE, La. (CCU) – Kieton Rivers had four hits and Seth Lancaster added three to lead Coastal Carolina to a 7-5, 12-inning win at ULM Friday night at Warhawk Field in the opening game of the weekend series.

On the mound for Coastal (28-16-1, 14-7-1 Sun Belt), Bobby Holmes and Will Latcham combined to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts. Latcham (3-0) earned the win. In the 11th, he worked out of a jam after a CCU error then struck out the side in the 12th to seal the victory.

In the 12th for the Chanticleers, Wood Myers drew a leadoff walk to start the rally and he moved to third on a throwing error when the ULM catcher tried to pick him off first. Rivers walked to put runners on first and third. Then, with a drawn-in infield, Peyton Isaacson singled through the right side of the infield to score Myers. Lancaster followed with an RBI single to right field to score Rivers for the 7-5 lead.

Coastal grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second inning. Dalton Ewing, who reached on a fielder’s choice, easily scored from first base as Seth Lancaster drove a 3-2, two-out pitch to center field.

The Warhawks (12-35, 6-16) answered with two runs in the bottom of the second. Spencer Hemphill had a leadoff single and Chad Bell followed with a single. Two batters later Cade Harper lined a two-run double off the right field wall.

Coastal Carolina responded with three runs, all with two outs, in the third to regain the lead, 4-2. Kevin Woodall Jr., started the rally with a sharp single past the ULM shortstop. Myers then doubled to left-center field, allowing Woodall to score from first. Rivers continued to keep a hot bat as he drove a pitch opposite field and over the right-center field wall to give CCU a two-run cushion. For Rivers, the blast was his first of the season and the second for his career.

The back and forth game continued in the bottom of the third as ULM scored once to make the score 4-3. Cade Stone drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, took third on fly out and scored on an RBI single from Turner Francis. For the third inning in a row, Coastal made a great defensive play, this time to save run as Lancaster made a diving catch down the third-base line to throw out Hemphill at first. (Woodall made an impressive over the shoulder catch in foul territory to end the first and Rivers caught a ball in foul territory over the tarp in the second.)

The Chants got that run back in the fourth. Matt Beaird had a one-out single and Billy Cooke was hit by pitch for the second time in as many at bats. Then, with two outs, Woodall lined a single to right field. Despite a strong throw, Beaird, running from second slid and just beat the tag at the plate to give the Chants a two-run advantage again (5-3).

ULM knotted the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Bell walked and Tyler Cox followed with a two-run home run.

Both teams had several opportunities from the seventh through 11th innings, but came up empty each time.

Game two of the series is set for 2 pm (CT) on Saturday.