Stony Brook shut out by Coastal Carolina in NCAA Tournament opener
Daniel Bowman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Cody Wheeler threw a six-hit shutout to lead Coastal Carolina over Stony Brook, 6-0, Friday in an NCAA Tournament Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Regional baseball game.
Bowman's RBI single drove in Tommy La Stella in the second inning for Coastal (52-7), the fourth overall seed in the tournament. After a 55-minute weather delay before the fourth inning, the Chanticleers scored three runs in the fifth and added two in the ninth to secure the opener of the double-elimination regional.
Nick Tropeano allowed 11 hits and three earned runs and struck out five in eight innings for the Seawolves (29-26). Tanner Nivins went 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
"It's disappointing," Stony Brook coach Matt Senk said. "Tropeano gave us a good effort and we had chances to score, but we couldn't get a timely hit . . . Coastal is a great team. There's a reason they have the record they have. It wasn't from a lack of effort why we came up short."
Stony Brook, which has 12 freshmen, swept Albany last week to earn its second America East title in three seasons and third since making the jump to Division I in 2000. The Seawolves will face North Carolina State (38-23) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
"I'm extremely proud of what this team has done," Senk said. "Until we get knocked out of the tournament, we're going to keep going about our business . . . All year, no matter who the opponent has been, we've played hard."
St. John's (40-19) lost to Mississippi, 10-5, in the Charlottesville (Va.) Regional and will play VCU (34-25-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday in an elimination game.
Wittels extends hitting streak
With a sixth-inning double, Florida International sophomore Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 55 games, moving within three of matching Robin Ventura's Division I record set 23 years ago. Wittels finished 1-for-4 as the Golden Panthers fell to Texas A & M, 17-3, in the Coral Gables (Fla.) Regional. - AP
