Atlanta, Ga. – Coastal Carolina baseball scored at least one run in each of the first six innings of the contest, yet gave up 10 runs combined over the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to see the Georgia State Panthers storm back from a 10-5 deficit to upend the Chanticleers 15-11 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga.

The loss drops the Chanticleers to 26-18-1 overall and 11-9 in the Sun Belt, while with the win the Panthers improved to 13-32 and 4-17 in conference play.

Despite the loss, the Chants picked up the series win, their fourth of the season.

The two teams combined for 26 runs on 32 hits, while every inning saw at least one run cross the plate except in the ninth.

The Chants' offense was led by seniors Kieton Rivers (5-for-6, 2B, 2 RBIs, SB) and Mike Koenig (3-for-3, HR, 2 BB, 3 RBIs, 3 runs) who both reached base five times each on the game. First-year Chants Scott McKeon (2-for-3, 3B, 2B, 2 BB, 3 runs) and Jake Wright (2-for-6, HR, 2B, 4 RBIs, 2 runs) both had two extra-base hits in the loss.

The Panthers' bats were spearheaded by a career day from Elian Merejo (3-for-5, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 runs) who had a pair of three-run home runs and the game-tying single in the bottom of the eighth. Ryan Glass (1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 3 RBIs, 2 runs), Luke Leonard (4-for-5, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) and Griffin Cheney (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) all had multiple RBIs in the win.

CCU freshman pitcher Alaska Abney (2-4) was saddled with the loss, as the Chants' bullpen gave up 10 runs, nine of which were earned, on 11 hits, four walks and six strikeouts over 6.0-complete innings in the loss.

The GSU pitcher of record was Trey Horton (1-5), as the righty held the Chants to just one run on six hits, four walks and five strikeouts over the final 4.0 innings of the contest.

Both teams scored early in the contest, as the Chants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a ground-out RBI by Wright only to see the Panthers score three runs on a three-run home run in the bottom of the first off the bat of Merejo to put the home team up 3-1 after just one inning of play.

The Chants used a long ball of their own in the top of the second to tie the game up at 3-3 on a two-run home run to right center field by Koenig, his fourth home run of the season.

The inning turned into another big inning for the visitors in black, as Cory Wood drew a two-out walk and then advanced to third on a single to center field from Cameron Pearcey. Wright followed with a double off the wall in center field to clear the bases and drive in two runs to put the Chants up 5-3.

Rivers, the Sun Belt Conference RBIs leader, then hit a 0-1 pitch through the right side to plate Wright and give Coastal at 6-3 lead midway through the second inning.

However, the back-and-forth scoring continued in the bottom half of the inning as Georgia State plated two more runs of its own on an RBI double from Daino Deas and a run-scoring ground-out from Cheney to trim the Coastal lead back to one at 6-5 heading into the third inning of play.

Coastal pushed its lead out to two in the top of the third on a McKeon triple and an RBI single from Koenig to put the score at 7-5.

After reliever Austin Kitchen was able to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, Wright added to his RBI total on the day with a solo home run to right center field, his sixth home run of the season and fourth RBI of the game, to push Coastal's lead out to three runs at 8-5.

The Chants continued its scoring fest with two more runs in the top of the fifth on a Wood RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Pearcey to double up the Panthers at 10-5 midway through the contest.

The extra runs over the fourth and fifth innings proved to be vital for the Chants, as the Panthers broke through with a four-run sixth inning, highlighted by a second three-run home run of the game from Merejo, to close the gap to within one at 10-9 with three innings left to play.

Coastal added a run by way of a Rivers' RBI single in the top of the seventh only to see the Panthers answer with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI ground out to put the Chants' lead back to one at 11-10.

The Panthers' hot bats continued in the bottom of the eighth, as the home team got a lead-off double and took advantage of a catcher's interference call to get an RBI single from Merejo.

The inning continued with a hit-by-pitch which set up a two-run double down the left field line for Leonard to put the home team in front for the first time of the game at 13-11.

Two batters later, Glass lined a double into the left field corner to clear the bases and plate two more Panthers to increase the home team's lead to four at 15-11.

The Chants, who stranded 13 runners for the game, put two runners on in the ninth on a Rivers' single and a Parker Chavers' walk but saw the game end on a strikeout.

Coastal (26-18-1, 11-9 Sun Belt) will not have a midweek contest for the first time this season next week and will return home to host the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (20-27, 8-13 Sun Belt) for Sun Belt Conference three-game series on May 3-5 at Springs Brooks Stadium.

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