Little Rock Held Scoreless Against Coastal Carolina

CONWAY, S.C. - Little Rock baseball was held to just three hits in a 4-0 loss to Coastal Carolina on Friday afternoon in game one of the series played at Springs Brooks Stadium.
 
Chandler Fidel threw a career high 11 strikeouts for the Trojans (26-21, 14-10 SBC), besting his 10-strikeout performance against Georgia Southern in early April. He ended the day by throwing seven innings and gave up three runs off six hits, one walk and a hit batter.
 
Matt Merino, Kale Emshoff and Ryan Benavidez recorded the Trojans' three hits on the afternoon while Marcus Ragan reached on a walk. Riley Pittman and Christian Reyes each got on base from hit-by-pitches.
 
Jason Bilous was lights out for the Chanticleers (34-16, 19-6 SBC). Like Fidel, Bilous threw seven innings with 11 strikeouts, but he only allowed Little Rock hits.
 
The Chanticleers went up early by getting two doubles right off the bat in the first inning. The second double put the game's first run on the board. A stolen base gave Coastal a runner on third in which he scored off a wild pitch to put the game at 2-0.
 
The next five and a half innings remained scoreless as both starters found their groove until CCU's Parker Chavers smashed a solo shot over the right field wall in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Hayden Arnold entered the game in the eighth for the Trojans and gave up one run off a hit batter and triple to make it 4-0.
 
Little Rock did not have a rally in the cards as it eventually fell to Coastal.
 
Game two of the series is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (CT) start on Saturday with Cole Townsend (3-1) penciled in to face Zack Hopeck (4-4) for the Chanticleers.