Coastal Carolina entered the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championship facing a five‑run deficit against Louisiana, but a late rally kept the contest alive until the final inning.
Early offensive burst
Louisiana jumped out to a quick lead, plating five runs in the opening frames. Colt Brown sparked the onslaught with a two‑run double, and Drew Markle followed with a two‑run single, setting the tone for the game.
The Chanticleers answered back, chipping away at the margin. Blake Barthol paced the offense with four hits, including two doubles, a stolen base and a run scored, while Trace Mazon added two hits and two RBIs.
Clutch pitching
Coastal’s bullpen delivered five scoreless innings, striking out eleven batters. Starter Ross Norman took the loss after surrendering five runs over four innings, while Cody Brasch closed the game with a strikeout to seal Louisiana’s victory.
Walker Mitchell contributed three hits, two of them doubles, scoring twice and driving in a run. Rex Watson and Colby Richardson also saw action, but the rally fell short.
With the season’s final conference game in the books, Coastal Carolina now waits for the NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Show to determine its postseason destination.