ASHEVILLE, NC — Daniel Pruitt went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI, to help the UNC Asheville baseball team to a 8-6 victory over Coastal Carolina, Friday evening at McCormick Field. Coastal falls to 40-14, 11-5 in the Big South, while UNCA evens its record to 25-25, 11-6 in the Big South.

Steven Cook (9-4) picked up the win for UNCA, allowing five runs in 6.2 innings of work, while Seth Denton picked up his ninth save of the year. CCU's Steven Carter (9-3) suffered the loss for the Chants, allowing six runs in four innings.

Ryan McGraw would give CCU an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, as he scored on Brandon Powell’s groundout to second. UNCA would answer scoring four times on five hits in the bottom half of the first. After back-to-back singles by Jake McConiga and Gary Kohler to start off the inning, Grant Rembert would drive UNCA’s first run on a double to right. One batter later, Bill Carley would drive in a pair on his single to right field.

Coastal would narrow the Bulldog lead to 4-2 in the third on a solo home run to right field by McGraw.

Steve Pinocchio would help Coastal cut the UNCA lead to 4-3 in the fourth inning on a RBI-single to right, scoring Tyler Hasbrouck from second base. UNCA would add on two runs in the fourth, extending its lead to 6-3. Pruitt would plate the first run on a solo blast to center, while Steve Sherman would drive in the next run with a single to right scoring McConiga from second.

Pruitt would then give UNC Asheville its biggest lead of the game at 8-3 with his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left field.

The Chants would make it a two-run game, by scoring three times in the seventh inning. After a two-out walk to Greg Orsimarsi and a single by McGraw, Brett Grandstrand would drive in Orsimarsi from second on his single to left. Powell would follow, with a two-run double to left field.

That would the closes Coastal would get as Denton shut down the Chants with two scoreless innings in relief.

Ryan McGraw went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored to lead Coastal offensively.

Game two of the three-game series will be Saturday at 4 p.m. at McCormick Field.