Junior Mike Costanzo (Springfield, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) hit two home runs, including the game-winner in the eighth inning as the Coastal Carolina University baseball team (28-9, 9-2 Big South) came back to defeat Birmingham-Southern College (21-14, 8-3 Big South) 6-5 April 16 in Birmingham, Ala.

Costanzo took a 2-1 pitch from Mark Doll and deposited over the right field wall for his second home run of the game and his seventh of the year. He also has three home runs in the series.

Birmingham-Southern took the early 1-0 lead in the first. Sophomore Kevin Marrie (Clarksville, Md./River Hill) walked Pat Mizerany and Jonathon Sanford on eight pitches. Marrie then struck out Scott Billak and Adam Tucker, but Blake Burton singled up the middle to score Mizerany.

Casey Bond belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. Billak put the Panthers up four with an RBI double to left field off of senior Byron Binda (Stafford, Va./North Stafford).

Coastal scored three runs in the fifth on three hits. Senior Chris Todd (Seattle, Wash./Bellevue C.C.) singled with one out. Sophomore Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) then hit a grounder to Matt Barber, who tried to force out Todd, but his throw was wide and Todd came all the way around to score. Junior Mike Costanzo (Springfield, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) then smashed a home run over the 365-foot sign in left center to cut BSC’s lead to one.

Birmingham-Southern got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as a Barber fielder’s choice scored Billy Froehlich, who singled with one out.

The Chanticleers came back with one in the sixth as a Barber throwing error on a Duggan grounder scored junior Kevin Entsminger (Canton, Mich./College of the Siskiyous), making it 5-4 Panthers.

Coastal manufactured a run in the seventh to tie the game at five. Sophomore Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall) walked, stole second, moved to third on a single from junior Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) and scored on a sacrifice fly from freshman Tommy Baldridge (Fort Mill, S.C./Fort Mill).

Binda earned the win, pitching 5.2 innings of brilliant relief. He struck out six and allowed only one run. Costanzo earned his Big South leading ninth save of the season, pitching the last two innings with one strikeout. Doll took the loss in relief, striking out two and giving up two runs in three innings. David Horne started for the Panthers, giving up six hits and two earned runs in six innings.

Todd, Costanzo and junior Michael DeJesus (Manapalan, N.J./East Carolina) had two hits apiece while Costanzo drove in three runs. For Birmingham-Southern, Froehlich and Mac Godwin had two hits, while Casey Bond drove in two.

The two teams will wrap up the three-game series Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m. EDT. There will be a live webcast of the game on www.GoCCUSports.com.