UNC Wilmington will play in its sixth CAA title game, and first since 2012.
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- Andy Austin's two-out, run-scoring single in the top of the 10th plated Corey Dick with the eventual game-winning run as UNCW advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association championship game with a 4-3 win against College of Charleston on Friday at Patriots Point.
The Seahawks ran their record to 38-16 with their fifth consecutive win. Thirteenth-ranked CofC dropped to 42-12. UNCW will play for the championship at 1 p.m. EST Saturday.
UNCW held the Cougars to a season-low three hits as starter Evan Phillips and Jordan Ramsey combined for 11 strikeouts. Phillips limited CofC to two hits, walked three and struck out eight in 6.1 innings. Ramsey picked up the win to improve to 8-2 by holding the Cougars to a hit in 3.2 innings.
Kennard McDowell led the UNCW lineup with three hits and a run batted in. McDowell's RBI double in the fifth broke a scoreless deadlock. Gavin Stupienski, Corey Dick and Luke Dunlap each added two hits as UNCW finished with a 12-3 advantage in the hit column.
Reliever Nathan Helvey (7-4) was the hard-luck loser, allowing the winning run, unearned, on four hits and a walk in 2.2 innings. Starter Brandon Glazer went seven strong innings, allowing a run on six hits and struck six.
Alex Pastorius went 1-for-4 and knocked in the go-ahead runs for Charleston in a three-run seventh. Ryan Brown and Erven Roper added hits.
