MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – College of Charleston's offense exploded for 14 runs on 19 hits in a big non-conference win over Coastal Carolina, 14-2, on Tuesday night at Patriots Point.
The win snapped Charleston's (22-18) four-game skid on mid-week games and evened the season series with Coastal Carolina (25-16). It was just the third game in the last seven series matchups that was not decided by one run.
College of Charleston tied a season high with 19 hits and hit double digits in runs for the ninth time this season. The 14 runs were the most given up by Coastal Carolina's pitching staff all season, which entered the game with a 2.76 team ERA.
The Cougars had three players tally four hits led by Blake Butler's career day at the plate. The freshman second baseman tallied four hits and two runs, with a career-high four RBI. Cody Martin was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Gunnar Heidt also tallied four hits with three RBI.
Carl Wise extended his team-best hitting streak to 11 games with a single and two runs scored.
CofC senior Drew Freie (4-4) picked up the win in his first career start. He last 3.1 IP on a predetermined split, tallying three hits and three strikeouts while not allowing a run. Coastal Carolina starter Brady Arenson (0-1) allowed five runs in two innings to pick up the loss.
Will Remillard led the CCU offensive effort, notching two hits, scoring a run and driving in another.
Charleston opened the game with five runs in the second inning, taking advantage of doubles from Martin, Morgan Phillips and Butler.
Heidt hit an RBI double in the fourth frame and Butler scored two with a two-out single in the fifth inning to push the Cougars' lead to 8-0.
Coastal Carolina threatened with a two-out rally in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs on RBIs from Remillard and Justin Creel to cut the score to 8-2.
However, the Cougars responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out RBI from Martin to score Heidt. Charleston put the game away in the seventh inning with five runs on three hits, including another double from Martin, to put the margin at 14-2.
Dre Watts finished the game with two perfect innings, striking out two in the eighth and ninth frames.
Charleston will remain at home this weekend with a non-conference series against Radford. CofC will play a doubleheader on Saturday which will now begin at 2 p.m. Sunday's finale is scheduled for noon.
