NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth affair that defied pregame projections, Trevor Lucas broke out of a slump with two home runs and four RBIs to lead UNC Wilmington to an 11-10 victory over Charleston Southern in 11 innings Wednesday afternoon at Buccaneer Ballpark.

The game, which saw the Seahawks blow an eight-run lead before finally prevailing, featured 21 combined runs on just 18 hits, aided by 15 walks, five hit batters and five errors.

Lucas, the Seahawks’ third baseman who was 1 for 10 over his previous four games, set the tone early. After a walk to Kip Jones in the top of the first inning, Lucas launched a two-run homer to right field off Buccaneers starter Hopke. He struck again in the fourth inning, following a Jones single with another two-run shot to left, giving UNC Wilmington a 7-3 lead.

His power surge was part of a larger offensive display that included two solo home runs from designated hitter Cole Nelson, who went 3 for 6. The Seahawks finished with 13 hits.

Charleston Southern, which managed only five hits, clawed back into the game almost exclusively via the long ball and Seahawks miscues. Alex Marot answered Lucas’s first homer in the bottom of the first with a three-run blast to left after a fielding error and a hit batter, making it 3-2.

The game turned dramatically in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 8-3, the Buccaneers mounted a two-out rally against the UNC Wilmington bullpen. A single from Pringle drove in two runs, aided by a fielding error. Sam Speirs then followed with a two-run homer to right-center, suddenly cutting the deficit to 8-7.

The Seahawks appeared to regain control in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs on a two-run single from Jones and an RBI single from Alex Evans to extend the lead to 11-7.

Undeterred, Charleston Southern chipped away. In the bottom of the eighth, a hit batter, a single, a double steal and a throwing error allowed a run to score. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, the Buccaneers completed their comeback to force extra innings. Down to their final three outs and trailing 11-8, they loaded the bases with one out. A single from Tuupo drove in one run, and a sacrifice fly from Barile tied the game at 11.

The most important sequence of the game came in the 11th inning. With the score still knotted, UNC Wilmington’s Dillon O’Brien led off the frame by driving a solo home run to center field off reliever Henry, providing the decisive run.

UNC Wilmington reliever Jackson Caldwell, who entered with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning, earned the win. He escaped the ninth-inning jam with a sacrifice fly and a caught stealing, then dominated over his final two innings of work. Caldwell pitched 2 2/3 perfect innings, striking out five of the eight batters he faced.

Seahawks starter Alex Sobol was dominant early, tossing five no-hit innings, though he was charged with two unearned runs. Charleston Southern’s Drew Dawson provided critical relief to keep his team in it, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts during the late comeback.

The loss was the first of the season for Charleston Southern, which fell to 7-1. UNC Wilmington improved to 4-3. The result contradicted a pregame simulation by Interstat, which had projected a 7-4 Buccaneers victory, though the service’s ELO ratings gave the Seahawks a 69.5% probability to win.

UNC Wilmington opens a three-game home series against Connecticut on Friday. Charleston Southern begins a three-game set against Brown at home on Friday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Wilmington on March 10.