Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

CHARLESTON - The Coastal Carolina softball team split two more tight games on Tuesday afternoon at Charleston Southern taking the opener 4-3 before falling in the nightcap 3-1.

Kory Hayden's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning gave the Chanticleers (29-20, 14-5) their victory in a game in which neither team led by more than one run. Charleston Southern (28-23, 10-9) scored all three of its runs in the second game in the fifth and sixth inning.

Kelsey Dominik, Annie Robinson and Morgan Noad each hit home runs as Coastal set a new program record, now with 73 this season, surpassing the 70 that were hit in 2013.

Both Hayden and Bri Chiusano had hits in each game to extend their respective streaks at the plate. Hayden has now reached base in 28 straight contests, while Chiusano has a hit in her last 14.

Coastal totaled just six hits against CSU starter Jennifer Giles in the opener, but two of them were home runs, accounting for three of the runs. Dominik went the distance to notch her 12th victory of the season and helped herself with a second-inning homer, her 10th of the year. Charleston Southern took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a two-run double by Amanda Matsumoto, her 69th hit of the season.

However, the Chants regained the edge on Robinson's two-run shot to right-center in the fifth, her seventh of the season, which followed a walk to Sara Rasley. Coastal had a chance to add to the lead in the sixth, loading the bases with one out but was unable to score.

The Buccaneers then tied it in the bottom of the frame. After a soft leadoff single just over the glove of the leaping Hayden, Brittany McPherson fouled off a bunt attempt before hitting a triple to the right-field corner. Dominik was able to keep the go-ahead run from scoring, getting a lineout, strikeout and flyout.

The Chanticleers then went back ahead for good in the top of the seventh. Chiusano poked a one-out single through the hole on the right side and Kiana Quolas ripped a single down the left-field line on a hit and run play, advancing Chiusano to third. Hayden then waited on a change-up from Giles and lofted a flyball to right-center easily deep enough to score the speedster from third.

CSU tried to rally again in the bottom of the inning, getting a leadoff single, a sacrifice and walk to Marci Christian, the Bucs' leading home run hitter, before Dominik was able to get a grounder to short for a forceout and a flyout to Quolas in left to put it away.

Dominik allowed eight hits and struck out three. Giles used her change-up to limit the Chants' offense most of the game while striking out eight, but just one after the fourth inning.

In the second game, the teams combined for just seven total hits, but each left 10 runners on base, as there were 10 walks issued and five batters hit by pitches.

Mackenzie Conrad limited the Bucs to just three hits, but one of them was a two-run homer to Giles in the fifth inning that gave CSU a 2-1 lead. With top pitcher Cheyenne Gandara sidelined by injury, Giles came on in relief of freshman starter Hayley Elkins twice to get her team out of jams in the second and fifth innings. Giles played in the outfield in between to stay in the game and logged three total innings without allowing a hit.

After Elkins came back in the circle to start the third, Noad hammered her 18th homer of the season over the fence in right-center. She is now two away from equaling the program's single-season record.

Conrad, who was again getting the start in place of Quolas, escaped bases-loaded threats in both the third and fourth innings, getting a pair of swinging strikeouts in the former and a popout in the latter. But Giles followed a hit batter in the fifth with her first career homer and only her second career hit as a senior.

The Buccaneers then added a run without a hit in the sixth, using a walk, another hit batter, a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt that plated the run. Coastal left a runner on base in every inning except for the seventh, including seven in scoring position. Each of Coastal's last five games have been decided by two runs or less.

The teams will play the rubber game of the series Wednesday at 2 p.m., before the Chanticleers, who remained a half-game behind Longwood for first place, return home to finish off their regular-season schedule with a series against Presbyterian.