ROCK HILL, S.C. - Anthony Meo scattered five hits in seven innings and Adam Rice knocked in four runs to lead No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina to an 11-2 win over No. 6 seed VMI in Game 3 of the 2010 Royal Purple Big South Baseball Championship, May 25 at The Winthrop Ballpark on the campus of Winthrop University. With the victory, the Chanticleers improve to 48-7 , while VMI falls to 33-21 with the loss.
VMI plated a run in the first inning when Sam Roberts opened the game with a double to deep center. He moved to third on Cory Spangenberg's ground out, and scored on Jordan Ballard's sacrifice fly for a quick 1-0 lead. The lead did not last long, as the Chanticleers moved ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the first on Rice's two-out, three-run home run off VMI starter Jason Farley. Jose Iglesias walked and Tommy La Stella singled to right to set the table for Rice, who hit a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for his ninth homer of the season.
After both teams went scoreless the next two frames, the Chanticleers batted around in the fourth inning and scored five runs to take a commanding 8-1 lead. With one out, Chance Gilmore doubled down the right field line and scored on Josh Conway's single to center. After Rico Noel reached on an error, Scott Woodward singled home Conway to make it 5-1 and chase Farley. Noel and Woodward executed a double steal before new pitcher Ryan Barefoot walked Iglesias to load the bases. Watts then issued back-to-back walks to plate Noel and Woodward, and was pulled for Alan Watts. Watts struck out the next batter, Taylor Motter, but a passed ball scored Iglesias for the fifth and final run of the inning.
In the fifth, Gilmore hit a solo home run to left that extended Coastal's lead to 9-1, and Iglesias' RBI single with two outs scored Woodward from second to make it 10-1.
VMI scored its second run of the game in the sixth inning when Roberts opened the frame with an infield single and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Spangenberg singled to left to advance Roberts to third, and Graham Sullivan's ground out to first base scored Roberts. Coastal Carolina added a run in the eighth inning for the final margin of the game.
Meo scattered five hits and struck out eight in seven innings to pick up the win. He improves to 13-1 on the season, and is the first Big South pitcher to win 13 games since Winthrop duo Heath Rollins and Alex Wilson each won 13 in 2006. Farley (4-5) suffers the loss after allowing seven runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings pitched.
Gilmore, Woodward and La Stella had two hits each for the Chanticleers. Noel and Woodward each stole two bases, with Noel's pair giving him 50 on the season - just the third player in Big South history to reach the threshold in a season. Roberts had two of VMI's five hits and scored both Keydet runs.
The Keydets return to action Thursday at 11 a.m., taking on the loser of Wednesday's Liberty-Winthrop contest. The game will be broadcast on the VMI Sports Network, available at www.VMIKeydets.com and on Lexington's Fox Sports Radio 1450 AM. Fans can also watch each contest of the Big South Championship on the Big South Network, available at www.BigSouthSports.com.
Keydet Quick Hits
- Jordan Ballard's sacrifice fly accounted for his 56th RBI of the year, the third-highest total by a Keydet in a season.
- VMI has now lost to Coastal Carolina in each of the past four Big South Baseball Championships.
- VMI junior Sam Roberts is hitting .625 (5 for 8) with three doubles and three runs scored in two games at the 2010 Big South Baseball Championship.
Coastal Carolina Head Coach Gary Gilmore
"I thought our kids did a great job. It was a huge at-bat by Adam Rice in the first inning. For him to put a swing on the ball and get us back after giving up a run in the first was big. If there was a turning point in the game, that was it. VMI manufactured that run in the first and gave them confidence. That was a big play, no doubt."
VMI Head Coach Marlin Ikenberry
"Coastal has a great club, you cannot give them anything. We walked too many guys today, and Jason Farley left a 3-2 change-up over the plate, which he had to. Tip your cap to Adam Rice for hitting it out of the park. I like the way we came out swinging the bats early off of Meo. Then he settled in and did a great job. The key to the game is pitching and defense, and they pitched better than us and played better defense than us."
