Andrew Beckwith matched his career high with seven strikeouts, Zach Remillard doubled and tripled in runs, and Coastal Carolina upset Number 1 national seed Florida 2-1 Sunday night in the program’s first College World Series game.
The Chanticleers of the Big South Conference pulled the stunner against the vaunted Florida pitching staff that sent to the mound two first-round picks, a second-rounder, third-rounder and 10th-rounder in Omaha.
Beckwith (13-1), never drafted, put on a dazzling and efficient performance mixing sidearm and overhand deliveries. The Gators’ only run came on Jeremy Vasquez’s pinch single in the fifth. Beckwith allowed two singles the rest of the way and retired the last 10 batters in the first complete game of his career.
He set down the Gators’ 3-4-5 batters in the bottom of the ninth. Peter Alonso popped out and JJ Schwarz grounded out. That prompted the Chanticleers’ fans to start chanting “C-C-U! C-C-U!” and “Let’s go Coastal!” before Mike Rivera grounded out, with shortstop Michael Paez double-pumping on his throw to first.
