Miscues Cost Cougars in Midweek Battle With Chanticleers

CONWAY, S.C. --- Coastal Carolina (RV) scored on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the eighth to answer a late rally by the College of Charleston and edge the Cougars, 8-7, in a back-and-forth midweek clash on Tuesday evening at Springs Brooks Stadium.

LEADING OFF

Final Score: Coastal Carolina 8, College of Charleston 7

Location: Conway, S.C.

Records: Charleston (5-10), Coastal Carolina (13-6)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Cougars took the early lead through a two-out, three-run homer by Brody Hopkins that put Charleston ahead, 3-0, in the second inning. Coastal Carolina struck back with a three-run third before opening a 6-3 lead with one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Ari Sechopoulos (Windsor, Ont.) launched his first of two homers, a solo shot, in the sixth as both teams plated one in the frame. The Cougars would erase a three-run deficit on a Tanner McCallister RBI single and a two-run bomb by Sechopoulos in the eighth to tie the game at 7-7. Coastal scored the winning run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the frame following a single, an error and a walk.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCE

Senior first baseman Ari Sechopoulos reached base four times with a single, a walk and two home runs while driving in three of the Cougars’ seven runs. Facing the shift Sechopoulos (Windsor, Ont.) dropped a bunt down the third base line in the second and scored, he walked to lead off the fourth, with two out in the sixth he homered to right field on a 1-2 pitch cutting the Chants lead to 6-4 and in the eighth he hit a 2-0 pitch to right for a two-run homer to tie the score.

The multi-homer game marks the first of his career and pushes his career long ball total to 20. He raised his average to .291.

NOTABLES

-Hopkins sparked the offense with his second homer of the season – a three-run shot – in the second.

-Joseph Mershon went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.

-All of the Cougars’ seven runs on Tuesday night were scored with two outs in a game played before 1,000 including John Reed, son of legendary Leaside catch Buck Reed.