The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (6-1) swept the middle day of the IMIChotels.com INN-vitatiional Feb. 26, at Charles Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field in Conway, S.C. The Chanticleers defeated Pittsburgh (1-2) 6-5 and Rider (0-2) 14-0 to earn its sixth straight win.

Against Pittsburgh, Coastal scored two in the first. Junior MIchael DeJesus (Manapalan, N.J./East Carolina) and sophomore Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) had RBI singles in the inning. The score stood until the top of the fifth, when Jim Negrych doubled in Ben Copeland and David Cline to tie the game at two.

Coastal answered with four runs in the fifth with two out. DeJesus had a two-run double, scoring junior Mike Costanzo (Springfield, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and senior Chris Todd (Seattle, Wash./Bellevue C.C.). DeJesus then went to third on a balk and scored on a wild pitch. With the bases clear, sophomore Danny Morgan (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian) homered to left to put Coastal up 6-2.

Pittsburgh came right back in the sixth to score three runs as Michael Megale hit a three run homer to right field with one out. After a Cline single, senior Mike Andreas (Hanover, Pa./Georgia Tech) picked Cline off first. Copeland then struck out swinging to end the threat.

Pittsburgh threatened again in the ninth. Copeland opened the frame with a single but was gunned down at second on a sacrifice attempt. Negrych walked to put runners on first and second, but freshman Donnie Presley (Leesburg, Va./Notre Dame Academy) enduced Daniel Ford into a game-ending double play to pick up his first save of the year.

Senior Jake Hurry (East Moline, Ill./Alleman) earned the win for Coastal, going 5.1 innings, striking out two and giving up only four hits. The loss fell to Paul Nardozzi, who struck out five in 4.2 innings. DeJesus went 3-for-3 for Coastal, while Megale had two hits and three RBI for Pittsburgh.

Against Rider, Coastal had a 10-run fifth inning as the Chants sent 14 men to the plate. Already up 3-0, DeJesus brought home junior Kevin Entsminger (Canton, Mich./College of the Siskiyous) with his first homer of the year. Freshman Keon Graves (Dillon, S.C./Dillon) walked with the bases loaded, bringing in Costanzo. Junior Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) brought in Morgan on a single while a walk to freshman Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) scored freshman Dock Doyle (Conway, S.C./Conway). Entsminger drove in Graves on a single and Costanzo cleared the bases on a double to right.

Entsminger had two RBI that capped the three-run second inning. Coastal scored a run in the eighth on a Verrett single.

Junior Ricky Shefka (Kinston, N.C./Old Dominion) earned his second win of the year, allowing no runs and no walks while striking out six. Rider’s Justin Roszowski took the loss.

Entsminger, DeJesus and Costanzo drove in three Chants apiece. Entsminger and Verrett had three hits apiece.

The IMIChotels.com INN-vitational will conclude Sunday, Feb. 27. The game times have been moved up due to the weather forecast. Pittsburgh will play Rider at 10 a.m. and Coastal faces Rider at 1 p.m.