CONWAY, S.C. ? Coastal Carolina batted around in two different innings, pounding out 20 runs on 24 hits as the Chanticleers scored a 20-7 win over VMI in game one of a weekend series at Watson Stadium on Saturday evening.  The win improves the Chanticleers to 37-13 overall and 16-5 in the Big South, while the Keydets fall to 16-30 on the season and 9-12 in league play.

The series will now conclude with a Sunday doubleheader at 1 p.m. 

Coastal Carolina was led at the dish by junior Adam Rice and senior Tyler Bortnick, each of whom went 4-for-4 with a home run.  Rice did even more than that, however, driving in four runs and hitting for the cycle in his first four at bats, coming in the first four innings of the contest.  The designated hitter singled in the first inning, then doubled later in the first, before hitting a two-run home run with two outs in the second.  He completed the trick by tripling to center field in the fourth inning, and left the game two innings later after being hit by a pitch.

VMI was paced offensively by Sam Roberts, who was 4-for-4 with two runs driven in, while Graham Sullivan extended his team-best hitting streak to 10 games by going 2-for-3 with a three-run triple.

Starting pitcher Tyler McCully (5-1) picked up the win by working seven innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits.  The loss went to Keydet starter Travis Smink (6-4), who suffered his first loss in eight conference starts this season.  The left-hander failed to record an out while facing eight batters, as each of those Chants had hits and scored runs in the first inning.

“That was the first time in Travis' career that he just didn't have his stuff,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry.  “I was proud of how we battled back in the fifth inning, and I saw some positives with how Karter Rivera and Alan Watts threw.  I thought we played hard even though we were down 7-0 before the first out was recorded.”

After McCully worked a perfect top of the first inning, Coastal Carolina sent 15 men to the plate in a 39-minute bottom of the first.  Nine of those hitters scored before reliever Michael Devine left the bases loaded when he retired David Anderson on a fly out to center field.

The Chanticleers tacked on three more runs in the second, with two coming on Rice's home run to center field, pushing the margin to 12-0 after just two innings.

VMI got on the scoreboard in the third, as Jacob Morley connected for his third home run of the season to lead off the frame.  Roberts plated another run later in the inning, singling home A.J. Yoder to cut the margin to 12-2.

After Coastal Carolina answered with a single run in the third, the Keydets mounted their biggest rally in the fifth inning.  McCully walked Morley to lead off the inning before issuing a second walk two batters later to Tanner Biagini.  Back-to-back singles by Jordan Ballard and Sam Roberts plated one run, before Sullivan connected for his triple down the right-field line, clearing the bases before advancing home on a throwing error.

With the advantage cut to 13-7, the Chanticleers scored the final seven runs of the contest, including six in the seventh inning, to put the game away.

Karter Rivera worked a career-long four innings in relief for the Keydets, and after allowing three runs in his first inning of work, allowed just one through his final three frames.  Alan Watts was the last of six Keydet pitchers in the contest, allowing just one base runner in the eighth inning.

The Keydets and Chanticleers will play game two of the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.