CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina baseball's pitching kept the Florida International bats at bay on Sunday, holding the Panthers to just one run on five hits, while striking out eight hitters to propel the Chanticleers to a 6-1 win on Sunday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium.
 
With the win, the Chants improved to 10-5 overall and split the four-game weekend series with the Panthers at 2-2.
 
CCU freshman Keaton Hopwood (3-0) picked up his team-leading third win of the season, as the starter allowed just one run on two hits, two walks, and three strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
 
The bullpen trio of Luke Barrow (1.0 IP, 2 hits, BB, K), Shaddon Peavyhouse (1.1 IP, 2 K), and Alaska Abney (1.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 K) followed Hopwood with a combined 3.1-scoreless innings in the win.
 
Offensively, three different Chants had two hits apiece in Parker Chavers (2-for-4, 2 2B, run), Cooper Weiss (2-for-2, 2B, BB, run), and Dale Thomas (2-for-3, BB, 2 RBIs), while Nick Lucky (0-for-4, RBI), Eric Brown (1-for-4, RBI), Tanner Garrison (1-for-3, BB, RBI, run), and Tyler Johnson (0-for-3, BB, RBI) each had one RBI in the win.
 
Three Panthers in Alex Sanchez (2-for-3, HR, BB, RBI, run), Derek Cartaya (2-for-4, 2B), and Justin Farmer (1-for-4) combined for FIU's five hits with a solo home run from Sanchez being the lone run of the game for the visitors.
 
FIU starter Orlando Hernandez (0-2) took the loss, as he was hampered by two FIU errors and allowed four runs, one of which was earned, on two hits, three walks, and one strikeout in just 1.2 innings on the mound.
 
The men in teal stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second, as three walks and two errors allowed the first run to score on a Johnson bases-loaded base on balls.

Thomas followed with an RBI single through the left side of the infield to put the Chants up 2-0.
 
With the bases still loaded, Coastal would plate a third run on a fielder's choice before a Brown RBI single to left field scored the fourth run of the inning to give the home team a 4-0 lead heading into the third frame. The hit extended Brown's hitting streak to 12-straight games.
 
FIU ended its scoring drought with a solo home run to right field from Sanchez in the top of the third, however, it would be the Panthers' only run of the game.
 
The Chants added an insurance run in the fourth on a safety-squeeze play and another run in the fifth on an RBI single off the bat of Garrison to take a 6-1 lead after five innings of play.
 
The Coastal bullpen did the rest, stranding two runners in the sixth, two in the seventh, and one more in the ninth in the 6-1 win.
 
FIU left seven runners on base compared to the Chants' six. CCU also had two runners caught stealing.
 
Coastal will hit the road for just the second time this season next weekend, as the Chanticleers will take on West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va., March 19-21.
 
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