CONWAY, S.C. – The No. 17 nationally-ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the Georgia Southern Eagles split a Sun Belt Conference twin bill on Friday at Springs Brooks Stadium with the Eagles taking game one 7-5 and the Chants winning game two 13-8 to take the three-game series win.
 
Game 1: Georgia Southern 7, No. 17 Coastal 5
 
Despite five RBIs from catcher Derek Bender, the Chanticleers gave up four runs in the sixth inning to drop the first game of the doubleheader 7-5 to the Eagles.
 
Both teams hit well with two outs, CCU at .400 (4-for-10) and GS at .385 (5-for-13), however, the Eagles hit .417 (5-for-12) with runners on base, while Coastal hit just .182 (2-for-11).
 
Bender (3-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBIs, 2 runs) hit two home runs in the same game for the second time this season and drove in all five of CCU's runs for the game, marking the fourth time this season he has posted five RBIs in a game this year.
 
Coastal's three other base hits came from Graham Brown (2-for-5, 2B) and Ty Dooley (1-for-4), while Payton Eeles (0-for-3, HBP, run), Chad Born (0-for-2, 2 BB, run), and Orlando Pena (0-for-1, 2 BB, run) all scored one run in the loss.
 
However, the Eagles outhit the Chants 11-6, led by two home runs from Noah Ledford (2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 BB, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) and two hits each from Jesse Sherrill (2-for-5, 2 RBIs), Corey Dowdell (2-for-4, 2B, HBP, RBI, run), and JD Kaiser (2-for-4, RBI, run).
 
CCU starter Matthew Potok (2-1) was handed the loss, as the sophomore gave up five runs on seven hits, two walks, and six strikeouts over 5.1 innings pitched.
 
Reliever Jay Thompson (2-2) picked up the win for the Eagles, as the lefty held the Chanticleers' offense to just one run on four hits and five strikeouts over 4.2 innings out of the bullpen.
 
For the second consecutive game, the Chanticleers scored first in the contest as Bender reached out and hit a two-run home run over the wall in left-center field to go up 2-0 after one inning of play.
 
Both starting pitchers cruised through the second and third innings before the Eagles got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth frame on a walk and an RBI double by Dowdell to cut the Coastal lead to one at 2-1 midway through the fourth inning.
 
Coastal doubled its runs total in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Bender again came through with a two-out base hit, ripping a single to right field to drive in two more Chants and push the home team's lead to 4-1 halfway through the contest.
 
However, the lead did not last for long, as the Eagles used a big inning with four runs in the top of the sixth to pull in front for the first time in the game at 5-4 on a Ledford solo home run, an RBI single by Kaiser, and a two-run base hit from Sherrill.
 
After a double play on a line out into the defensive shift in shallow right field ended the Chants' inning in the bottom of the sixth, the visitors in gray added to their lead with a solo home run by Ledford in the seventh and a solo shot from Cameron Crosby in the eighth inning to go up 7-4.
 
CCU's Bender provided another run in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run to right field for his third hit and fifth RBI of the game to cut the Eagles' lead to two at 7-5 but it was not enough at the Eagles held on for the game one win.
 
 
Game 2: No. 17 Coastal 13, Georgia Southern 8
 
Coastal scored three runs in the first and six in the third inning to counter the Eagles who scored at least one run in seven-straight innings in a 13-8 win in game two of the twin bill.
 
With the win, the Chants are now 17-0 on the season when scoring double-digit runs for the game and have won 10-straight three-game series since April of last year.
 
The Chants' offense came to life in game two, and despite 10 strikeouts, picked up 16 hits and hit .625 (10-for-16) with runners on base and .500 (5-for-10) with runners in scoring position.
 
Bender (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs, run) hit his third home run of the day but also had some help in game two, as Nick Lucky (2-for-5, HR, 4 RBIs, 2 runs) homered and drove in four RBIs, while Kameron Guangorena (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBIs, 3 runs) hit a home run, double, and drove in three RBIs as the designated hitter.
 
The Eagles' Jarrett Brown (1-for-6, HR, RBI, run) hit a solo home run but also left five runners on base, as the visitors as a team stranded 14 on the base paths for the game. Kyler Hultgren (4-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBIs, run) led the way with four hits and two RBIs, both team highs in the loss.
 
Super senior Jack Billings had another strong start on the mound for the Chants, holding the Eagles to three runs on five hits, three walks, one hit batter, and five strikeouts over 4.0-complete innings, yet did not factor in the decision.
 
The win went to reliever Bryce Shaffer (4-0). The left-handed pitcher fired 2.1 innings out of the bullpen, allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on three hits, five walks, and one strikeout.
 
GS starter Ga'von Wray (1-2) took the loss, as the righty was hit up for six runs on six hits and two strikeouts over 2.1 innings pitched.
 
Like the Eagles in game one, the Chants used the long ball in game two, as Lucky put the Men in Teal on top 3-0 with a three-run shot in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Despite allowing the Eagles to score one run in the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, the Coastal pitching staff was able to get out of jams and avoid the big inning to keep the home team in front thanks to a six-run inning from the offense in the bottom of the third.
 
Up 3-2, the Chants blew the game open in the third, as Eeles led off the inning with a single and then stole second. Two batters later, Lucky ripped an RBI single up the middle to plate Eeles. The very next hitter was Bender, who sent his third home run of the day over the left-field fence for a two-run shot and put the Chants on top 6-2.
 
The Chants were not done, as following a Zack Beach single and a Graham Brown double, Guangorena hit a moonshot over the bullpen in right field for a three-run home run and a 9-3 lead after three innings of play.
 
Coastal got back on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, as the home team added to its 9-5 lead with two insurance runs off a two-run single through the right side of the infield by Eeles.
 
After GS scored another run in the top of the seventh inning to put the score at 11-6, Pena provided the two-run base hit in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to 13-6 with two innings left in the contest.
 
The Eagles plated two more runs in the top of the eighth on a Dowdell RBI single and a Hultgren RBI double, yet it wasn't enough as the Chants took the series win with a 13-8 game three victory.
 
Coastal (20-9, 9-3 Sun Belt) will return to the road for a five-game road trip starting at No. 14 Campbell (23-6, 10-1 Big South) on Monday and Tuesday, April 10 and 11, in Buies Creek, N.C.

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