Swindle shines, Haar homers as CSU defeats Liberty, 5-3

Swindle strikes out 13 in second straight start

CHARLESTON, SC - Junior center fielder Jordan Haar homered for the third consecutive game and junior left-hander R.J. Swindle struck out 13 batters in recording his third straight victory as Charleston Southern defeated Liberty, 5-3, in the Big South Conference opener for both teams.

Charleston Southern snapped a three-game losing streak while improving to 11-14 overall. Liberty falls to 11-11 on the season. The two teams meet in a doubleheader at Buccaneer Field on Saturday.

Haar's homerun, his sixth of the season, was the 29th of his career, tying the school's all-time record. Haar also had a single and double on the day and has eight hits and six RBI in his last 11 at bats.

Swindle (4-2) went 8 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs while tying a career-high with 13 strikeouts. It was Swindle's second straight start with 13 strikeouts and the reigning Big South Player of the Year has 35 strikeouts in his last 23 innings. Sophomore Bobby Parnell got the final out of the game to record his first save of the season.

Each team managed only five hits in the contest with all of Liberty's runs coming via the homerun as Jeremiah Boles hit a solo shot and Phillip Laurent hit a two-run homer. Laurent finished with two hits for the Flames, as did shortstop Ryan Hutchinson.

Liberty starter Matt Hensley (3-2) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Hensley struck out eight, but walked four and hit two batters.

Charleston Southern took a 1-0 lead in the second on Scott Thacker's RBI single up the middle, scoring Jeff Kolhagen from second. The Bucs added three runs in the third on Haar's three-run homer to left, this after Jay Reynolds reached on an error and Billy Dalton was hit by a pitch.

Liberty answered with two runs in the fourth on Laurent's two-run homer to right. The Buccaneers added an unearned run in the sixth and Liberty scored a run in the eighth on Boles' homerun to center.

Game one of Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 12:30 with the second game, a seven inning contest, beginning 30 minutes after the completion of game one.