The Coastal Carolina University baseball team (17-3, 2-0 Big South) used a seven-run third inning to win its fifth straight contest, defeating High Point University (9-14, 0-2 Big South) 12-3 March 20 in High Point, N.C. Coastal also has won 10 of its last 11 games.

High Point took a 1-0 lead in the first. Chris Ramirez walked with one out and moved to third on a double from Jeremy Neyra. Ramirez scored on a fielder’s choice from Josh Cotten.

After only having three hits in 11 innings all series, the Chants exploded for seven runs and six hits in the third. Senior Jon Foisy (Ridgecrest, Calif./Cerro Coso C.C.) started the inning with a single. Junior Mike Costanzo (Springfield, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and sophomore Danny Morgan (Hilton Head, S.C./Hilton Head Christian) walked to load the bases, setting up junior Michael DeJesus (Manapalan, N.J./East Carolina), who promptly doubled to drive in two. Junior Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) then singled home Morgan to give Coastal a 3-1 lead. Junior Mike Fuentes (Miami, Fla./North Florida C.C.) singled home DeJesus and freshman Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill) reached on a bunt single, which Verrett scored on a throwing error from Matt Christie. Sophomore Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) drove in Fuentes on a sacrifice fly and senior Chris Todd (Seattle, Wash./Belleuve C.C.) drove in the seventh run on a single through the left side.

High Point scored two in the fourth on an RBI double from Ro Castro and a groundout from Christie, scoring Nick Thompson. Coastal answered with one in the fifth, as Todd singled to right, scoring Duggan.

Morgan led off the sixth and sent a fastball over the left field wall for his second home run of the season.

Morgan drove in his second run of the game in the eighth on an RBI single up the middle, scoring Foisy. Verrett grounded into a double play with the bases loaded scored Costanzo to make it 11-3. Fuentes then drove in Morgan on a single to right field.

The win went to senior Byron Binda (Stafford, Va./North Stafford), who pitched four innings of no-hit, no-run relief. Binda struck out five and walked four in improving his record to 3-1 on the year. Sophomore Andy DeLaGarza (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) started the game, going four-plus innings, giving up three runs and four hits. The loss went to Matt Schlanger, who gave up six hits and six earned runs in 2.1 innings.

Baldridge went 3-for-4, while Todd, Foisy, Morgan and Fuentes had two hits apiece. Morgan drove in two and scored three runs. Coastal had 14 hits on the day, while High Point committed five errors.

Coastal Carolina and High Point will wrap up the three-game series Monday, March 21 at 2:30 p.m.