MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Rich Witten doubled to start the 10th inning and scored on reliever Heath Hembree’s wild pitch, giving top-seeded Coastal Carolina the Myrtle Beach Regional title with an 11-10 victory over College of Charleston on Monday.
The Chanticleers (55-8) had just escaped a bases-loaded threat in the bottom of the ninth when Witten tagged one to left to start the 10th. He moved to third on Adam Rice’s sacrifice and crossed the plate when Hembree’s pitch went past catcher Rob Kral to the screen.
Coastal Carolina, the NCAA tournament’s fourth overall seed, advanced to host the best-of-three super regional series against South Carolina next weekend.
College of Charleston (44-19) won 16-6 on Saturday night and needed just one victory to advance. Instead, the Cougars were stung by two late comebacks. Witten’s 10th-inning heroics followed Rico Noel’s ninth-inning homer in Coastal Carolina’s 8-7 victory Sunday.
Cody Wheeler, a weekend starter, worked the final three innings and improved to 12-0.
