CHARLESTON, S.C. - Derek Smith stroked a two-out walk-off single, leading Charleston Southern to a 7-6 victory over Holy Cross on Friday at CSU Ballpark. The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Buccaneers and improves CSU's record to 3-6.

Corey Deighan (2-0) took the victory for CSU pitching two perfect innings with two strikeouts. Holy Cross relief pitcher Ryan George (0-1) picked up the loss after allowing the game-winning run. He pitched 2.2 innings.

Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision. CSU's Anthony Markham gave up five runs in 4.2 innings of work. He walked three and struck out one. Holy Cross left Matt Shapiro allowed six runs in six innings of work.

CSU looked poised for a blowout win after building a 6-0 lead. The first four Buccaneers reached base in the opening inning, leading to an RBI double from Nick Chinners that scored Brantley Meier. Two batters later, Walt Quattlebaum doubled the lead with a sacrifice fly; later, Chinners came home when a botched pick-off attempt led to a Holy Cross throwing error and CSU led, 3-0, after an inning.

Thanks in large part to a pair of Buccaneer errors, Holy Cross loaded the bases in the 2nd inning. However, the Crusaders were denied a tally thanks to a fine play by Meier in right field. After reeling in a fly out off the bat of Patrick Puentes, Meier gunned down Eric Oxford at the plate, keeping the Crusaders off the board.

CSU struck again in the 2nd. Tom Burkett came through with a bouncing double the hugged the left field line, plating Smith and Meier. Though Burkett was stranded at 3rd, the Buccaneers ended the frame with a 5-0 cushion.

Smith tacked on a run for the Buccaneers in the 3rd inning. After Patrick Dolan singled and stole a base, Smith worked a 10-pitch at-bat into a bloop single, bringing a run to the plate and giving the Bucs a six-run lead.

The Crusaders (1-4) loaded the bases with no one out and broke through in the top of the 4th frame when John Sills stroked a single through the right side, and Patrick Puentes followed with a single of his own. Both plated runs to make the score 6-2. Alex Maldonado tacked on a sacrifice fly for the final run of the inning, which ended with CSU leading 6-3.

Charleston Southern's lead grew even slimmer in the 5th inning. After Crusader Mark Perry led off the inning with a walk, Eric Oxford clubbed a two-run homer over the right field wall to cut the gap to 6-5. The visitors then put runners on the corners, but reliever Tyler Vick came on to end the inning, getting Puentes to fly out for the third out of the frame.

The Bucs got in another jam in the 7th. Holy Cross put runners on 1st and 2nd when Andrew White came on with one out. White struck out pinch hitter Chris Sintetos, but the Crusaders tied the game when Jack Laurendeau scored on a single from Maldonado.

Holy Cross miscues nearly helped the Buccaneers retake the lead in the bottom of the 7th. Chinners led off and reached on a fielding error by Maldonado, and Thornburg was plunked in the back by Shapiro. But George came on to retire the Bucs without surrendering a run. He struck out a pair and retired another on a fly out, keeping the game tied.

With the game still even at 6-6, CSU sent the heart of the order to the plate in the bottom of the 9th. Chinners led off by popping out, but Thornburg put the winning run on base when he drew a walk. After the Bucs loaded the bases with two out, Smith delivered a walk-off single that just touched down in front of the Holy Cross centerfielder, giving CSU a 7-6 victory.

Smith ended the game 4-for-5 with 2 RBI, while Meier, Burkett and Chinners were each 2-for-5. Oxford led the way for the visitors, going 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored in addition to his home run, the lone shot of the game.

CSU is not through with Holy Cross; the Crusaders will return to CSU Ballpark Saturday for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.