No. 22 Coastal Carolina Downs Duke, 10-6

Sunday, February 28

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

2:00 PM

Duke University

Coastal Carolina

No. 22 Coastal Carolina Downs Duke, 10-6

2/28/2016 4:29:00 PM | Baseball

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By: Duke Sports Information

CONWAY, S.C. – Duke mounted an early lead but could not the hold the No. 22 Coast Carolina bats at bay, suffering a 10-6 setback Sunday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C., to conclude its weekend at Caravelle Resort's Baseball at the Beach Tournament.

Duke (4-3) staked a 3-0 lead after the second before Coastal Carolina (4-2) – who entered the day with a .354 team batting average -- put crooked numbers on the board in the third, fifth and sixth innings to erase the deficit. The Blue Devils allowed a season-high 10 runs and 12 hits in the loss.

Coastal Carolina designated hitter G.K. Young went 3-for-5 with a triple, a home run and four RBI to pace the Chanticleers at the plate. Young blasted a two-run third-inning homer to tie the game at three and added a two-run triple following a 12-pitch at bat to give Coastal its first lead in the fifth.

“They're a really good offensive club,” said head coach Chris Pollard. “ There in the third and again in the fifth, they had a really impressive approach. The best at bat so far against us this year, Young there in the fifth.”

Blue Devil freshman Zack Kone picked up the first three-hit game of his collegiate career, singling in the second, fourth and sixth innings. Kone also scored a pair of runs and raised his season average to 357. Freshman Jimmy Herron and sophomore Justin Bellinger also contributed two hits each.

Despite registering one hit in the second – Kone's first single – Duke was able to put three runs on the board. Cris Perez began the rally with a one-out walk, followed by Kone's base knock. A throwing error by Coastal third baseman Zack Remillard allowed Perez to score before Griffin Conine sent an RBI groundout to second to plate Kone. Dougherty later scampered home on a wild pitch to give Duke an early three-run advantage.

Coastal came up with consecutive two-out extra base hits to knot the score at three apiece in the third. Michael Paez delivered a two-out RBI double before Young delivered a two-run homer.

The double was the first of two hits for Paez, who also added two RBI and two runs scored.

Griffin Conine picked up his second RBI of the day in the fourth, driving a sacrifice fly to right field that plated Kone to help Duke regain the lead, 4-3.

Duke's advantage disappeared during a four-run Coastal fifth. The Chanticleers churned out five hits in the frame to claim their first lead of the afternoon. Young again delivered a key extra base hit, this time lacing a two-run triple to the right center gap.

Graduate student Brian McAfee (0-1) took the loss, exiting after the fifth. McAfee tossed 5.0 innings, allowing seven runs (all earned) on nine hits.

A pair of walks and a wild pitch helped Coastal add to its lead with a two-run sixth. Down 9-4, Duke started the seventh with three-straight base hits before Peter Zyla and Jack Labosky drove in a run each to make it a 9-6 ballgame.

That was as close as the Blue Devils would come the rest of the way as Coastal's 10th run came home in the seventh on a Connor Owings RBI single. Duke loaded the bases in the ninth before reliever Bobby Holmes worked out of the jam to earn the save.

“We gave them three runs in the sixth and seventh innings and we can't do that,” Pollard added. “Offensively, we showed good resiliency after having a tough day yesterday. We bounced back and had good at bats today. Put guys in scoring position. Had the tying run at the plate in the ninth. We just gave them too many free bases.”

Coastal's Tyler Poole (2-0) pitched 5.2 frames in the win, yielding five runs (one earned) on five hits while walking two and striking out five.

Duke is set for two midweek games, hosting Davidson at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park before traveling to Campbell for a 4 p.m., first pitch Wednesday, March 2.

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