Colby Thorndyke drives in 6, sparks late-inning barrage in Coastal Carolina's 18-7 win over ECU

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Colby Thorndyke hit a grand slam to break a seventh-inning tie and finished with six RBIs as Coastal Carolina routed East Carolina 18-7 on Saturday night, sending the Chanticleers to the championship round of their super regional.

The Chanticleers, batting as the visiting team, scored 14 runs in the last three innings.

Coastal Carolina trailed 5-4 heading to the seventh inning, then Sebastian Alexander belted a lead-off home run to tie it. The Chanticleers loaded the bases on a single, an error and a hit batter, setting the stage for Thorndyke. He belted the first pitch over the right-field fence for a 9-5 lead. Two outs later, Caden Bodine's two-run double capped the six-run inning and Coastal Carolina led 10-5.

Alexander added a two-run single to highlight a five-run eighth inning that gave CCU a 15-5 lead. Thorndyke added an RBI single in the ninth and scored on Blagen Pado's two-run home run.

No. 3 seed East Carolina will play second-seeded Florida in an elimination game Sunday. That winner will need to beat Coastal Carolina later Sunday and again on Monday to reach the super regionals. The top-seeded host Chanticleers would advance with one win.

Alexander drove in four runs and Pado three. Both had four hits, as did Thorndyke.

Dixon Williams and Austin Irby each had a home run, three hits and two RBIs for the Pirates. Jack Herring had four hits.

Matthew Potok (3-1) got the win.

Brad Pruett (5-6) took the loss.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports