CONWAY, S.C. – App State baseball brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the top of the eighth inning but was unable to deliver the decisive blow in a 6-2 loss to No. 19 Coastal Carolina on Saturday at Spring Brooks Stadium.
Liam Best started the ballgame and after loading the bases in the first inning was able to escape trouble without allowing a run. Best went on to retire nine consecutive batters, including five strikeouts. He worked a career-high 3.1 innings before running into trouble in the fourth.
Coastal Carolina (36-11, 19-4) batted around in the fourth inning and scored four runs to grab the lead, an advantage that they would not relinquish.
App State (21-25, 11-12) struck first in the ballgame scoring a run in the top of the third.
Tommy Walker lined a double down the right field line to begin the inning for the first extra-base hit of his career, and after moving to third base on a wild pitch, came across to score on an RBI single from
Joseph Zamora.
Bradley Wilson took over on the mound for the Mountaineers in the fourth inning and logged the final 4.2 innings of the contest, allowing three runs while striking out four.
Trailing 5-1, App State mounted a comeback effort in the eighth inning.
Tanner McCammon led off with an infield single and Zamora and
Kameron Miller were each hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out.
Tyler Lichtenberger then plated a run on an RBI groundout, to cut the deficit to three.
The Mountaineers then re-loaded the bases on a walk to
Tyler Figueroa, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate, but the Chanticleers called on Ryan Lynch out of the bullpen who was able to prevent any further damage.
Coastal Carolina starter Cameron Flukey struck out nine batters over seven innings of work to pick up the win, while the offense added an insurance run in both the seventh and eighth inning.
The Mountaineers will look to salvage the series finale on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. The 2025 App State baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
