Charleston, South Carolina: Coles Burn Pride with Ninth Inning Walk-Off Win
Cole Mathis drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth, stole second and scored on a single by Cole Singsank to give College of Charleston a come-from-behind 8-7 win over Hofstra in its opening game of the CAA Tournament at Brooks Field in Wilmington, N.C.
Charleston advances to a 7 p.m. contest on Friday against the winner of tonight’s game between host UNCW and Delaware. The Cougars (40-12) reached the 40-win plateau for the seventh time in school history and first since 2015.
The Pride built a 7-1 lead with all-conference pitcher Carlos Martinez limiting the Cougars to only three hits through the first five innings. But with Martinez out of the game, Charleston stormed back against the Hofstra bullpen.
Consecutive singles in the seventh by Luke Wood, Dylan Johnson and an RBI base hit by Tyler Sorrentino made it 7-2 before Avery Neaves blasted a three-run homer, his 14th of the year, to pull the Cougars within two.
Key Moments of the Game
With one out, Mathis walked and raced all the way around to score when an infield single by Singsank was deflected into foul territory in left. Singsank wound up at third on the play and scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Trotter Harlan.
Hayden Thomas, the third Cougar pitcher, kept Hofstra off the board over the next two innings, retiring all six batters he faced including three strikeouts to pick up his fourth win of the year. Mathis doubled twice in addition to his two key bases on balls to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.
Player Performances
Singsank had three hits, Sorrentino had two of Charleston’s 10 hits. Mathis also stole a base showcasing his all-around performance on the field.
Looking Forward
College of Charleston will face off against No. 2 UNCW in their next game on May 25th at 11:00 AM. The team continues to showcase their resilience and fighting spirit as they aim to make a deep run in the CAA Tournament.
Player Statistics
- Cole Mathis: AB 3, R 2, H 2, RBI 1
- Cole Singsank: AB 5, R 1, H 3, RBI 1
- Tyler Sorrentino: AB 4, R 1, H 2, RBI 1
- Avery Neaves: AB 4, R 1, H 1, RBI 3
Pitching Statistics
- Hayden Thomas: ER 0, IP 2.0, SO 3, BB 0
- Connor Campbell: ER 3, IP 5.0, SO 1, BB 1
- Emmett Bice: ER 2, IP 2.0, SO 1, BB 1
Fielding Statistics
- Cole Mathis: PO 8, A 1
- Trotter Harlan: PO 3, A 2
- Connor Campbell: PO 1, A 4
College of Charleston’s dramatic victory sets the stage for an exciting tournament run as they look to continue their winning ways. The team’s never-say-die attitude and the ability to perform under pressure bode well for their prospects in the upcoming games. The fans can expect nail-biting action and thrilling moments as the Cougars fight for glory on the baseball diamond.
