COASTAL KNOCKS OFF RADFORD IN FIRST GAME OF SERIES

BOX SCORE RADFORD, Va. - Coastal Carolina's Michael Paez and G.K. Young each drove in a pair of runs as the Chanticleers took the opening game of the Big South series at Radford, 8-3. Young's two-run double in the fifth broke a 3-3 tie, and the Coastal (16-19, 7-6) added an insurance run in the eighth and two more in the ninth to win their fourth in five games. Radford (17-15, 7-6) lost for the first time in three games.

After Coastal scored the game's first three runs in the top of the second on an RBI fielder's choice by Connor Owings and a two-run single by Paez, Radford answered in the bottom on Zach Woolcock's first home run of the season. Woolcock drove a Tyler Herb pitch to the opposite field over the right field wall with a runner on base to cut the lead to 3-2. He tied the game with a bases loaded walk in the third before Young fired a line drive into left-center field for the go-ahead hit.

Herb (6-3) out-dueled RU starter Dylan Nelson to earn the victory. He threw 124 pitches in eight complete innings and turned it over to Mike Morrison in a non-save opportunity in the ninth. Nelson (4-3) went 5.1 and gave up five runs on six hits with four walks.

Woolcock (1-3) drove in all three runs for the Highlanders, and Josh Gardiner (2-5) posted the only two-hit night in a seven-hit attack for the hosts.

Paez finished 3-4 with two runs plated. Colin Hering (2-5) also registerd a multi-hit game for the Chants, and Steven Whitaker scored a pair of runs.

The win was the 998th in the career of CCU skipper, Gary Gilmore, which ties him with former Seton Hall coach Mike Sheppard for 50th in NCAA history.

The two teams will play the middle game of the three-game series Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

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