FURMAN FALLS TO COASTAL CAROLINA 7-6; FURMAN-DELAWARE GAME TIME CHANGED
CONWAY, SC - Coastal Carolina's offense picked up where it left off yesterday
before going silent, but still managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Furman
Thursday afternoon at Watson Stadium. After pounding out 14 runs a day ago,
the Chanticleers scored four in the first inning and two more in the second
to jump out to a 6-1 lead before the Paladins came back. Stellar pitching by
freshman reliever Byron Binda and a fifth inning sacrifice fly by Jeff Baker
were the difference as CCU improved to 8-3 on the season, while Furman dropped
to 4-7.
Coastal opened the scoring with an RBI groundout by Adam Keim, and began to
flex some muscle with Randy McGarvey's solo shot and a 2-run blast by Baker
that put CCU up 4-1. Keim's two-run shot down the left field line in the second
made it look like it was going to be another rout, but Paladin starter Corey
Etheridge settled down from there, holding CCU hitless through the third and
fourth innings.
An RBI single by Drew LaTora cut the lead to 6-2 in the third, and Furman was
able to drive Chanticleer ace Brian Fischer from the game with four runs in
the fourth. Nick Wajda's 3-run homer tied the game, and Fischer was pulled after
hitting Brandon Barrett and walking Derek Norman. Binda got the Chants out of
the inning with a groundout and a pop up, and went on to finish the game, pitching
5.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn his first collegiate win. Binda (1-0)
allowed six hits with four strikeouts, as he pitched his way out of a second-and-third
situation with no outs in the fifth, and again escaped in the seventh as Danny
Rueckel was thrown out at the plate by Ryan McGraw and Tyler Hasbrouck after
Wajda's single to center was relayed to McGarvey.
McGarvey opened the Coastal fifth with a single, went to second on Chad Felty's
hit, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Baker was then able to bring the
game-winning run home with a deep drive to right field, giving him three RBI
for the game, after driving in five yesterday. Etheridge took the loss, allowing
seven runs (only three earned) in 5.0 innings, while striking out five.
Both teams will be back in action tomorrow at Watson Stadium, but both will
be playing Delaware. Furman will play the Blue Hens in a neutral site game at
12 noon, followed by Delaware and Coastal at 3:30 pm. The second game was changed
from Sunday, due to impending bad weather.