The No. 4 North Carolina baseball team fell to Coastal Carolina, 5-2, in Conway, S.C., on Wednesday night, snapping a nine-game win streak.
What happened?
No. 25 Coastal Carolina wasted no time in pouncing on Tar Heel (33-14, 18-6 ACC) pitcher Taylor Sugg. In the first inning, shortstop Seth Lancaster crushed a two-run home run to right field, giving the Chanticleers a 2-0 advantage. A lead off double by designated hitter Ben Casparius in the second inning looked like it might spur a UNC rally, but the first-year was stranded after three straight outs.
In the third, the Chanticleers added to their advantage, thanks to an RBI double from left fielder Lee Sponseller. Sponseller struck again in the fifth inning, this time smacking a ball up the middle to bring home the fourth run of the day.
But UNC was not ready to go down without a fight.
With one out in the sixth inning, center fielder Brandon Riley singled and then advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt that resulted in a throwing error. With a runner now in scoring position, shortstop Ike Freeman calmly stepped to the plate and clobbered a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence, the sophomore's third home run of the season.
The lead now at 4-2, it looked like the Tar Heels were mounting a comeback. But the offense failed to get more than one runner on base in each of the next three innings.
Right fielder Kieton Rivera provided Coastal Carolina with an insurance run, sending a solo home run into the left field stands off reliever Joey Lancellotti to make it 5-2 in the eighth inning.
That run proved to be the final score of the day, as the Tar Heels fell 5-2 to give the team its first loss in ten contests.
