Coastal Carolina cruises past Southern Miss, 20-7

Southern Miss Sports Information

CONWAY, S.C. (WDAM) - Five different Coastal Carolina players registered at least three runs batted in as the Chanticleers defeated Southern Miss 20-7 in Sun Belt Conference action Saturday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium.

The Golden Eagles (22-15 overall, 10-7 Sun Belt) lost for the third-straight time, as they surrendered a season-high for runs in the contest. The Chanticleers improved to 26-11 overall and 13-4 in league play.

CCU scored in four different innings, including a five-run first and an eight-run second to jump out to a 13-0 advantage after two innings.

Zack Beach lead the way for the Chanticleers with four RBI, while Derek Bender, Nick Lucky, Ty Dooley ana Orlando Pena added three apiece.

Southern Miss starter Billy Oldham got chased from the game in the second after allowing 10 runs on six hits with two walks and three hit batsmen over an inning-plus to suffer the loss and fall to 3-2.

The Chanticleers took advantage of a total of 10 walks and four hit batsmen from five Golden Eagle pitchers in the contest. Nine of CCU’s runs scored reached via a walk or hit batsmen.

Behind reliever Chase Adams, Southern Miss rallied and cut the score to 13-7 as Adams gave up two runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. He entered the game to get out of the eight-run second inning with a strikeout on the first batter he faced.

Adams followed with three-straight scoreless frames that allowed the Golden Eagles to get back into the game.

Southern Miss plated their first run on a Christopher Sargent groundout in the third. Southern Miss then rallied for five more runs in the fourth. The first five batters reached base to open the frame and Carson Paetow knocked in the first-two runs with a single. Matthew Etzel, who had three hits and extended his hitting streak to seven games, singled in a run, before Dustin Dickerson grounded into a double play which scored the runner from third. After the double play, Slade Wilks doubled before Sargent knocked him in with a single.

Paetow knocked in the final run with a single to left in the fifth.

Wilks added three hits in the 14-hit Golden Eagle attack, while Dickerson added two hits to extend his hitting streak to a team-best 17-game hitting streak. His streak is the longest since Bryant Bowen hit safely in 22 games during the 2019 campaign.

Down six runs, Adams gave up a walk and a bunt single to start the sixth, which ended his day. The Golden Eagles went to Colby Allen who got a strikeout to open his outing. He then got an easy fly ball to right which would have been the second out, but Paetow slipped and fell on the ball and allowed the batter to reach. CCU turned that miscue into six more runs in the inning on just three hits to put the game out of reach.

Orlando Pena added a solo home run down the left field line a frame later to complete the scoring.

CCU reliever Darin Horn (2-1) gave up a run over an inning of work on three hits to garner the victory.

The final game of the series takes place Sunday at 12 noon CT.

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