The 2016 College World Series championship series has certainly been a strange one as Wednesday night’s Game 3 was pushed to Thursday afternoon due to multiple weather delays. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers used those rain delays and held off the Arizona Wildcats to win their first national championship in school history.
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Forever Champs! pic.twitter.com/5yWmQ4KRNo
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 30, 2016
The Chanticleers dropped Monday’s Game 1 to the Wildcats by a score of 3-0. The team used a big rally in the eighth inning in Game 2 to tie the series and on Thursday, they had to hold off the Wildcats’ rally in the bottom of the ninth in Game 3 to bring the national championship to Conway for the first time.
In Thursday’s game, the Chanticleers took a 4-0 lead thanks to a pitching error that gave them two runs and a two-run home run by designated hitter G.K. Young.
A LEGENDARY HOME RUN BY G.K. YOUNG! https://t.co/hTY6MDxaTt
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 30, 2016
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Wildcats cut Coastal Carolina’s lead in half with a two-run single by centerfielder Jared Oliva.
The Wildcats had the chance to either tie or win the game in the bottom of the ninth with a man on second and third, two outs on the board and trailing 4-3. However, Alex Cunningham pulled off his first career save at the most opportune time.
The final out!
Coastal Carolina wins its first-ever NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! https://t.co/EmYdFtoEUh
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 30, 2016
In 21 seasons with his alma mater, head coach Gary Gilmore had led the Chanticleers to 14 NCAA tournament appearances. However, this was his first appearance in the Division I College World Series and this win was the 1,100th in his collegiate career.
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