GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Derek Smith's solo home run in the seventh inning fractured a 3-3 tie and helped lead Charleston Southern to a 5-3 victory over Furman in baseball action Tuesday afternoon at CSU Ballpark.

The win evened Charleston Southern's record at 2-2 on the year while Furman fell to 4-1.

With Furman leading 3-2, Charleston Southern's Brantley Meier singled off Paladin reliever Stephen Gary to open the seventh, advanced to second on a sacrifice, then stole third and scored on a throwing error by Paladin catcher Dylan Cole to tie the game at 3-3.  After a fly out, Smith put the Buccaneers ahead for good with a solo home run off Drake Browne, who came on for Gary.  CSU made it 5-3 on a Walt Quattlebaum RBI single following a Matt Still triple.

Furman failed to counter in the eighth, and CSU's Corey Deighan, after surrendering a hit batsman and single in the ninth, managed to end the threat by striking out Will Muzika for the second out and getting an accurate throw from catcher Drew Woodall to nail the Paladins' J.B. Jenkins on a steal attempt at third base.

A pair of Furman defensive mistakes in the first inning helped stake the Buccaneers to a 2-0 lead.  Meier reached on a throwing error to lead off, moved to second on a second miscue, and to third on a wild pitch before trotting home on Nick Chinners' two-run home run off Furman starter Brian Dudzinski.

The Paladins got on the board in the second on a Rob Fondu RBI-single that plated Will Miller.

It remained 2-1 until the sixth when Furman took the lead with a pair of runs.  Taylor Johnson scored on a wild pitch to tie it at 2-2, and Fondu drove home Miller with a two-out, double off the Buccaneers' Ali Williams to give the Paladins a 3-2 advantage.

CSU's three-run seventh made a winner of Anthony Markham (1-0), who worked two scoreless innings, and Deighan notched the save.

Browne (0-1) took the loss after yielding two runs on three hits in a 2/3 on an inning.

Both teams banged out nine hits, with two of Charleston Southern's leaving the yard.  Meier, Smith, and Quattlebaum had two hits each for the Buccaneers.

Miller paced Furman with a 2-for-3, two-run performance.  Fondu went 2-for-3 with two-RBI, and Thompkins and Muzika also collected two hits apiece for the Paladins.

Furman plays at Georgia on Wednesday in a 5:00 p.m. game.

Pictured:  Senior outfielder Rob Fondu