A two-out single by Aguilar put Arizona up 3-0. Marks and Zach Remillard knocked out RBI singles to give Coastal a 5-1 lead.
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After building a 7-1 lead through four innings, the Chanticleers held on down the stretch as the Horned Frogs attempted to mount a late-inning comeback.
The senior draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers is unsafe with men on base, and Coastal Carolina found that out in Game 1. He retired the first seven hitters he faced, with only one of those outs being recorded in the outfield. The California native retired the side in order in the first, second, fifth, and seventh inning.
There might not be any players on quite the fast track to the majors, but Arizona and Coastal Carolina each have some prospects that could be solid pros some day. “You sit on off-speed, then he throws a fastball”, Chanticleer junior Michael Paez said.
“What a remarkable season”, OSU coach Josh Holliday said.
“It’s hard to hit when you have a guy that’s going to add and subtract, throw three pitches for strikes, and keep you off balance all game”.
Arizona has done well in Omaha (as they usually do when they get there).
The Wildcats were kept in check until the top of the seventh when they scored twice to take a 3-0 lead. Wildcats outfielder Zach Gibbons in particular is swinging the bat at his best at just the right time with five hits and five RBI in the past two games. But neither team was expected to sniff a national championship this season, and both scraped their way to this point with the help of some of the tournament’s most unlikely finishes (not to mention, as you can see below, some of the nation’s weirdest dugout rituals).
“I’ve laid awake many a night wondering if I’d ever in my life have this opportunity – to just get here, much less to get to this stage right here”, Gilmore said. “And (Monday) I pulled through for him”.
Coastal would have chances in the both the eighth and ninth innings, but came up empty to suffer just its second shutout of the season and first since March 8 (Wake Forest won 11-0).
But here we are with Coastal Carolina and Arizona the last two programs standing in Omaha. “I don’t think this at all”.
But alas, Ramer was safe and Salazar scored to make it 2-0. “When he jumped and caught it, it felt good”. However, Holmes induced a quick double play with the tying run at the plate, ending the game.
Gilmore went on to talk about the neglected old facilities and about the culture of the program at that time, and as he reflected back on setting the foundation for what was to come, he thought of Ells and that first group of players.
Key to victory The Wildcats’ pitching staff has been without equal in the postseason, thanks in large part to No. 1 starter Nathan Bannister, but he left his last start early with an arm injury, and the fatigue of starting two games in three days at Arizona’s regional may be catching up with him.
“In all reality I didn’t expect to be here about two or three months ago”, Gilmore admitted. “The adrenaline is still going”. “I’m still trying to figure out what just happened”. “I feel like that’s why we’re here”.
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Coastal Carolina beat TCU for a second consecutive night Saturday to become the first CWS newcomer to advance to the tournament’s championship since Georgia Tech qualified for the title game in 1994.
