LEXINGTON, Va. – The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (21-11, 4-5 Big South) split a doubleheader with the Virginia Military Institute (19-17, 1-8 Big South), winning the first contest 9-7 before falling in the nightcap 4-3 April 10, in Lexington, Va.

In game one, Coastal scored three times in the third and seventh and held off a ninth-inning Keydet rally. Freshman Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) sacrificed in sophomore Michael DeJesus (Manapalan, N.J./East Carolina) to give the Chants a 1-0 lead. VMI tied the game up at one on an RBI groundout by Kelly Sweppenheiser. VMI took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second as Sean Seawell homered and Jonathon Hadra scored on a wild pitch. The Chants retook the lead in the back-and-forth game in the third. After junior Brett Grandstrand (Newcastle, Wash./Liberty) and sophomore Mike Costanzo (Springfield, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) walked, Raber drove the lead runner in on a single to right. Junior Jason Krohn (Gresham, Ore./Lower Columbia College) drove in Costanzo and junior Brett Gordon (Sonora, Calif./Merced J.C.) on a single up the middle.

VMI tied the game on an RBI from Jacoby Fields, but Coastal scored in the sixth as Krohn walked with the bases loaded. Coastal then had three in the seventh. Senior Ryan McGraw (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central) singled, stole second and third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Grandstrand and Costanzo then singled and with runners on first and third, Raber stole second and Grandstrand scored on another throwing error by the catcher. Gordon then drove in Raber with a single to right.

In the ninth, VMI cut the lead to two on a three-run home run from Elliot Erbe. Costanzo then got Sweppenheiser to pop out to end the game.

Costanzo pitched 5.2 innings of relief to earn the win. He struck out six and gave up three hits to improve his record to 4-2. Freshman Kevin Marrie (Clarksville, Md./River Hill) started for the Chants, striking out four and giving up three earned runs in 3.1 innings. Raber and Krohn had two hits and three RBI apiece and Grandstrand and Costanzo also had two hits.

In game two, Coastal scored its only three runs in the first as Costanzo hit an opposite-field three-run home run, scoring DeJesus and McGraw. VMI scored a run in the second on a sacrifice fly from Chad Rice.

The Chants had a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but pinch hitter Stuart Cage opened the inning with a single up the middle. Matt Smith then singled and went to third on a Coastal error, scoring Cage. B.T. Good then tied the game with a triple down the right field line. Senior Steven Carter (Windsor, Ontario/St. Anne’s) then intentionally walked Erbe and Sweppenheiser and Coastal brought in junior Byron Binda (Stafford, Va./North Stafford) came in and got Fields to ground to second, but the throw to the plate was wide and Good scored with the winning run.

Carter took the loss, despite going six-plus innings, giving up five hits and striking out six Keydets.

Coastal travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face the University of North Carolina Tuesday, April 13, at 6 p.m.