CSU splits doubleheader with Coastal Carolina in baseball

R.J. Swindle tied CSU's career record for wins with his 23rd victory on Saturday

CHARLESTON, SC – Junior Brian Sole belted two homeruns and had five RBIs and junior Michael Blankenship hit a grand slam as Charleston Southern took game one of a Big South Conference doubleheader with Coastal Carolina, 11-1, at Buccaneer Field on Saturday afternoon.

Coastal Carolina rebounded from the loss to take game two, hitting four homeruns of their own to win, 13-1.

Coastal Carolina took two of three games in the series, improving to 28-19 overall and 11-7 in the Big South Conference. Charleston Southern ends the weekend at 21-28 overall, 8-10 in league play. The Buccaneers host High Point in a three-game conference series next weekend.

Charleston Southern hit four homeruns in the game one victory as Jordan Haar added a two-run blast, his 12^th of the season to tie the CSU single season record for homeruns. CSU had 10 hits in the victory with Brad Woods adding two hits in the win.

Junior left-hander R.J. Swindle (7-4) went six innings, allowing one run and striking out eight in his 23^rd career victory, which ties the CSU career record for wins. Ian Holmen pitched the final three innings, recording his first save of the season.

Coastal Carolina starter Jake Hurry (5-3) took the loss for the Chanticleers, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) in four innings of work.

CSU took an early 2-0 lead with Sole’s first inning two-run homerun to left. The Bucs added six runs in the third, two on Haar’s homerun and four more on Blankenship’s grand slam. Sole closed out the scoring with a three-run blast to left center, giving CSU an 11-0 lead.

Coastal Carolina scored their lone run in the sixth on Derek Martin’s sacrifice fly. Swindle opened the game by striking out five in the first two innings and did not allow a hit until a bloop double to right by Chad Oxendine in the fourth inning.

Coastal Carolina took control early in game two, getting back-to-back first inning homeruns from Mike Costanzo and Brett Gordon off Haar, CSU’s starting pitcher in the second game.

The Chanticleers added three more runs in the third, starting with a homerun by Jon Foisy. After a walk to Ryan McGraw and a groundout, Costanzo tripled off the wall in left center, scoring McGraw and chasing Haar. Gordon followed with a sacrifice fly to left off Bobby Parnell.

Coastal added two runs in the fourth and put the game on ice with a six-run fifth inning, including a two-run homer by Costanzo to make it 13-0.

Costanzo was also CCU’s starting pitcher, improving his record to 6-3 after allowing three hits in five innings of work. Haar, making his second start of the season, fell to 0-2 with the loss.

Charleston Southern has a week off before hosting High Point University in the final home stand of the season next weekend.