CHARLESTON, S.C. - Brantley Meier and Nick Chinners both had stellar days at the plate to power the Charleston Southern baseball team to a split in Saturday's doubleheader with Holy Cross at CSU Ballpark. The Buccaneers won the first game 10-6 and fell in the series finale 8-3.

CSU won its first series of the season after taking the first game of the three-game series 7-6 Friday.

Meier finished the day 6-for-9 and Chinners was 6-for-10 to help Charleston Southern move to 4-7 on the season. The Crusaders are now 2-5 this year.

GAME ONE
Charleston Southern plated runs in three of the first four innings and avoided a comeback attempt to take the first game of the doubleheader 10-6. CSU outhit Holy Cross 18-9.

Chinners put the Buccaneers on the board in the first inning with an RBI triple to straight-away center field. Chinners would later score in the inning to give CSU the early 2-0 lead. He stepped up to the plate in the second inning and singled up the middle to give the Bucs another run. Derek Smith scored on the hit by Chinners after reaching base via a walk.

Smith, Meier and Chinners all crossed home plate in the bottom of the fourth to put the game seemingly out of reach.

A two-run home run by Patrick Puentes in the fifth took away the shutout for CSU, but three more runs in the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh from the Buccaneers negated a four run top of the seventh for the Crusaders and allowed the home team to take the win and the series.

Tyler Thornburg (2-1) took the mound for CSU and sailed through the first six innings before getting into a bit of trouble in the seventh. The Crusaders touched up Thornburg for six earned runs on eight hits, with four of those runs coming in the seventh. He struck out six and walked just one.

Jesse Cadenhead pitched the final 2.1 innings and earned his first-career save after only allowing two base runners. He never allowed a run and only gave up one hit, while striking out three and walking one.

Meier and Chinners were both 4-for-5, and they combined for five runs scored. Chinners also drove in four runs and Meier picked up one RBI from the leadoff spot. Matt Still was 3-for-5 and recorded three runs batted in. Tom Burkett and Smith both scored twice.

Jack Laurendeau was the lone Crusader with two hits, and Puentes had two runs batted in. Six different Holy Cross players scored.

Matt Croglio (0-1) took the loss after lasting just four innings. He allowed six runs on nine hits, while striking out just three and walking two. John Colella pitched two innings of relief duty and gave up three unearned runs on four hits. Josh Hauser pitched the final two innings and gave up one run on four hits.

GAME TWO
Errors proved costly for the Buccaneers in the second game of the doubleheader, as three first-inning errors allowed the Crusaders to jump out to a quick 3-0 lead.

The bats were quiet for CSU in the early going and Charleston Southern was never able to get into rhythm offensively.

The home squad was able to collect 10 hits, but 15 hits for HC and four CSU errors were enough to push the Crusaders past the Bucs.

Holy Cross added runs in the third, sixth and seventh innings before plating two more in the top of the ninth to keep the Bucs at bay.

Smith hit a solo homer for Charleston Southern - his first of the season - and Thornburg and Meier were also able to score for the Buccaneers.

Charlie McCready (0-2) started for CSU and lasted 5.1 innings. He allowed five runs (three earned) on 11 hits. Tyler Vick and Corey Deighan both pitched 1.1 innings, with Vick allowing one run on three hits and Deighan blanking the Crusaders. Cadenhead pitched the ninth inning and allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit.

Meier, Chinners and Thornburg all posted two hits to pace Charleston Southern. Still and Smith each had a run batted in.

Nate Koneski (2-0) scattered seven hits over six innings, while allowing just two runs.

Vaughn Hayward pitched the final three innings and picked up the save for Holy Cross. He allowed just one run on three hits.

Matt Perry and Nick Ciardello each had three hits, and Eric Oxford, Laurendeau and Chris Blanchard all had two hits for Holy Cross. Perry, Laurendeau and Blanchard all scored twice, and six different Crusaders each recorded a run batted in.

Charleston Southern returns to action at 2 p.m. March 9 with a home matchup against USC Upstate. The Buccaneers also play host to Georgia Southern University at 2 p.m. March 10 at CSU Ballpark.

Game One Box - Game Two Box