The clutch plays and close calls that Coastal's baseball team made and received in Tuesday night's 4-3 win over UNC-Wilmington were the type this team hasn't really experienced since beating Tennessee on March 17. Good things always seem to happen to the Chanticleers at Watson Stadium, and that was the case once again.
Catcher Jose Iglesias won the game with a walkoff single in the bottom of the 11th inning, scoring Adam Rice, who had doubled two batters later. The two also combined for a big defensive play in the top of the 11th, when Rice gathered a base hit to left field, threw a rope to home plate and Iglesias applied the tag, saving a run and giving them a chance to win the game before I had a heart attack in the press box (we've started printing The Sun News in Charleston, so our deadlines are much earlier than normal).
Who knows what impact the win will have on the Chants, who had lost six of eight coming into the two-game, home-and-home series with the Seahawks. This could ignite them on another winning streak, but that seems unlikely until they are able to consistently string together hits and cut out some of the small mistakes they're making.
Their 11th-inning exploits might serve as a confidence booster for Rice and Iglesias, who entered the game batting .262 and .220, respectively. I didn't have a chance to talk to Rice, but here is what Iglesias said after the game:
"It feels good," he said. "I've cooled off a lot from the beginning of the season. Hopefully this will get me back on track and I can get some more hits."
It seems like years ago now, but Iglesias was the most dangerous hitter in the lineup during the opening week of the season. Maybe I cursed him with a story on Feb. 28, because he hasn't been the same player since. Still, his batting is starting to come around and he's been solid behind the plate all season. When he gets hot again -- you really get the feel it's a matter of when not if -- this lineup could be lethal.
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Assistant Sports Information Director Kent Reichert made a great point during the seventh inning on Tuesday. The Chants, down 3-2 at that point, had loaded the bases for Taylor Motter. At that point, I made the comment to Kent that I've gotten the feeling over the last month that the Chants just needed a big hit -- just one clutch play -- to break out of this funk they've been shrouded in. I've kind of gotten the feeling that one moment of brilliance, a big home run or great defensive play, might awaken this team. Perhaps I thought such a moment was coming. Motter promptly grounded into a double play, but Kent had a great observation.
Coastal plays on plenty of emotion. When things aren't going their way, the Chants are usually able to adjust their attitude to help swing the momentum. Home runs have also played a big part in their ability to do this over the past few seasons. The Chants had 31 home runs in their first 26 games, which was equal to their performance through the same span of 2008. However, Kent noted that eight of Coastal's last nine home runs have been solo shots, limiting the impact they've had on the game and Coastal's ability to turn the their bombs into fuel.
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The forecast is not looking good for Wednesday's rematch. There is a 70-percent chance of rain in the Wilmington area during the day and a 60-percent chance tomorrow night.
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