Coastal Carolina crushes Asheville in Big South baseball tournament play

From staff reports
Published: May 22, 2008

Top seed Coastal Carolina tied a Big South Conference tournament record for runs in a game with a 20-4 beating of UNC Asheville on Wednesday at Dan Daniel Park in Danville.

Coastal Carolina was ahead 10-3 entering the sixth inning, when the Chanticleers tacked on five more runs, including one on a solo home run by David Sappelt and three one a homer by Chance Gilmore.

The Chanticleers (44-11) will play the loser of Wednesday’s No. 3 VMI-No. 4 Winthrop matchup on Thursday at 3 p.m.  UNC Asheville (24-34) and plays the loser of Wednesday’s No. 2 Liberty-No. 6 Radford game Thursday at 11 a.m.



COASTAL CAROLINA 20, UNC ASHEVILLE 4
LEAVE NO DOUBT: Though Coastal Carolina was the overwhelming favorite, the fact that UNC Asheville had played the Chanticleers tight in two of three regular-season meetings must have been in the backs of the minds of Coastal’s players. Coastal swept the three-game set in Conway, S.C., but won two of the games by one run. The Chants jumped on top early, battering UNCA starter Michael Bogaert for nine runs (eight earned) in three-plus innings. Coastal led 10-0 before UNCA could crack the scoreboard.
NO SURPRISE: Having exhausted its top pitcher (Alan DeRatt) in Tuesday’s play-in game, UNCA had no chance against Coastal’s potent lineup. Six Chanticleers entered the game with at least eight home runs, and Coastal pounded four home runs Wednesday.
INSIDE THE BOX: CCU racked up at least 18 hits for the fourth time in the last five games. The fifth? The Chanticleers slumped (ha!) to just 16 hits.
STAR OF THE GAME: Preseason Big South player of the year David Sappelt went 4-for-4 with three doubles, a home run, a walk, four runs scored and three RBIs.
QUOTEABLE: “It’s the postseason. Everything we do every inning is to reach our best potential. We’ve got to keep getting better and better before regionals. Everything came together today. Hopefully it will come together tomorrow and the next day and we can wrap this thing up.” — Sappelt.
— Chris Lang, Media General News Service