CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina scored in four consecutive innings, capping off the run with a grand slam in the fifth inning, as the Chanticleers evened up the series with ULM, 9-4, Saturday afternoon at Springs Brooks Stadium.
 
"I'm proud of our guys in a lot of ways," ULM head coach Michael Federico said. "We won the sixth-seventh-eighth innings. That's something we talk about a lot. We played a clean defensive game. We were in that game. It was really just one pitch that the guy hits a grand slam. Other than that, if we give up just a single or he just walks a guy right there, who knows? It changed the complexion of the game. That's what Coastal is able to do."
 
ULM (5-12 overall, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) claimed a 1-0 lead in the second inning when senior Colby Deaville hit a solo home run over the left field bullpen. It was his second home run of the season. Deaville finished with three hits and a walk.
 
Coastal (11-7, 1-1) started its scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Tyler Johnson, who finished with three hits and four RBIs, hit a 2-out RBI single to score Zack Beach to tie the game at 1.
 
In the third inning, Eric Brown hit an RBI triple to plate Austin White, giving Coastal its first lead of the series, 2-1.
 
CCU doubled the lead in the fourth inning as Johnson hit a solo home run to left to extend the lead to 3-1.
 
The Chanticleers stretched the lead in the fifth inning. Singles by Brown and Nick Lucky and a walk to Dale Thomas loaded the bases. Beach then clubbed a two-out grand slam over the batter's eye in center field to put CCU up 7-1.
 
ULM tried to chip away at the lead. After an error allowed sophomore Landon Cato to reach base with two outs, sophomore Chase DeJean followed with an RBI double to right center to bring home Cato, cutting the gap to 7-2 in the sixth inning. In the seventh, senior Mason Holt belted a 2-run home run to bring ULM within three, 7-4.
 
However, Coastal put the game away in the bottom of the seventh inning when Johnson hit a 2-RBI double to extend the lead back to five, 9-4.
 
Reid Van Scoter (3-1) picked up the win for Coastal Carolina, throwing 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Sophomore Cole Cressend (1-2) suffered the loss in his first career weekend start, throwing 4 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on six hits with two walks and one strikeout.
 
"I was excited for Cole," Federico said. "He executed a bunch of pitches. Really the only pitch that I wish I could take back for him was the two-out hit-by-pitch on Zack Beach. He had two quick outs and then spins a breaking ball in there for a ball. We spin it again and he ends up hitting him. It ends up giving up a run with two outs in that inning. That to me was really the only pitch that he just didn't execute. Other than that, I couldn't ask for a better opportunity for him. He was throwing three pitches for strikes. He limited his walks."
 
Deaville led ULM with three this while Holt had two hits and two RBIs. DeJean added two hits with an RBI. In addition to Johnson's big day, Brown had two hits with an RBI for CCU.
 
The series concludes with the rubber match at 11 a.m. EDT/10 a.m. CDT Sunday at Springs Brooks Stadium.