CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina saw its nine-game home winning streak snapped on Friday night, as the South Alabama Jaguars hit four home runs in a 15-7 win over the Chanticleers in game two of the three-game Sun Belt Conference series in Conway, S.C.
 
The loss dropped CCU to 35-17-1 overall and 20-8-1 in Sun Belt play, while the win propelled USA to 31-21 overall and 17-12 in conference action.
 
Leading the charge at the plate for the Chants was junior shortstop Eric Brown (4-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), who hit two solo home runs, while both Dale Thomas (2-for-3, 2B, run) and Graham Brown (2-for-4, 2B, SAC, RBI) each had a double in the loss.
 
With his two home runs, Eric Brown marked the fifth time this season that a Chant has hit two home runs in the same game, joining Thomas and Tyler Johnson, who has done it three times this year.
 
Also driving in an RBI for the contest was Austin White (2-for-5, BB, RBI), Kameron Guangorena (0-for-1, SF, RBI), Tanner Garrison (1-for-3, RBI), and Matt McDermott (1-for-4, BB, RBI, run).
 
USA's offense totaled 14 base hits on the night, led by Hunter Stokes (3-for-6, 2 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) and his two solo home runs, while both Carter Sanford (1-for-3, HR, 3 RBIs, run) and Hunter Donaldson (2-for-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 runs) also homered in the win. Lead-off hitter Erick Orbeta (3-for-5, 3 2B, SF, 2 RBIs, 3 runs) set the tone with three extra-base hits, while Will Turner (2-for-4, 2 BB, RBI, 4 runs, SB) combined with Orbeta to score seven of the Jaguars' 15 runs for the game.
 
The loss fell to CCU right-handed pitcher Elliot Carney (1-1), as the super senior gave up five runs on five hits and a wild pitch over 1.1 innings pitched in the spot start.
 
Picking up the win for USA was reliever Jackson Boyd (3-1), as the righty entered the game in the fourth inning and went 4.2 innings, holding the Chanticleers to four runs on five hits, four walks, and five strikeouts.
 
For the second consecutive game, the Jaguars scored first, as the visitors led off the game with back-to-back base hits and then scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to center field in the top of the first inning.
 
The Jaguars added to the lead two batters later with a two-run home run to right-center field off the bat of Sanford to put the visitors on top 3-0 after just one-half inning of play.
 
Looking to get a run back in the bottom half of the inning, the Chanticleers loaded the bases on an Eric Brown double, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk, only to see a 4-6-3 double play quickly end the inning and keep the Jaguars on top at 3-0.
 
South Alabama used another home run and a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning to push across two more runs and extend the lead to 5-0 before the Chanticleers got one run back in the bottom half of the inning on an Eric Brown solo home run to left field to put the home team on the scoreboard down 5-1 after three innings of play.
 
However, the Chanticleers were unable to get a shutdown inning in the top of the fourth, as the Jaguars got the run back plus one on an RBI-double from Orbeta and a Coastal Carolina fielding error to add to the lead at 7-1 midway through the fourth inning.
 
Refusing to quit, the Chanticleers cut into the lead in the bottom half of the fourth with a lead-off single from Thomas followed by a Graham Brown double to put two runners on with no outs.
 
With two on, Guangorena nearly cleared the bases, as he put a charge into the ball that saw the South Alabama center fielder make a leaping catch at the wall in left-center field as the home team had to settle for a sacrifice fly as Thomas scored from third to put the score at 7-2.
 
Two batters later, following a fielder's choice in which the Jaguars were able to throw Graham Brown out at home, White ripped a single up the middle to plate McDermott and trim the Jaguars' lead to 7-3 with five innings to play.
 
After both teams went down in order in the fifth inning, the Jaguars used the long ball again, this time hitting back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth inning to start a four-run frame and pull out to an 11-3 lead midway through the sixth inning.
 
Coastal's Eric Brown would cap his 4-for-4 night with another solo home run to start the seventh inning, his second home run of the game, and sixth of the season, to put the score at 11-4 with two innings to play.
 
The Jaguars added two runs in both the top of the eighth and ninth innings while the Chanticleers got an RBI-single from McDermott in the bottom half of the eighth inning to complete the scoring on the night.
 
Coastal Carolina and South Alabama will play the rubber game of the three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET on Senior Day. The Chanticleers will recognize their 11 seniors tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET prior to the first pitch.
 
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