NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth Big South Conference contest that defied all projections, Gavin Speirs launched a stunning, two-out, walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings, setting the stage for Charleston Southern’s 13-12, 10-inning victory over Presbyterian on Friday afternoon and evening at Buccaneer Ballpark.

The game’s most important sequence was undoubtedly the bottom of the ninth, where the Buccaneers, trailing 12-8 and down to their final out, mounted an improbable four-run rally capped by Speirs’ heroic blast. The pinch-hitter turned second baseman, who was hitless in his last five at-bats dating to March 24, connected for his first home run of the season to erase a four-run deficit and tie the game, completing a seven-run inning and sending the contest to extras.

Charleston Southern (19-10, 1-1 Big South) then won it in the 10th without a hit. Pinch-runner Rogers advanced to third on a wild pitch after a walk, and after another walk loaded the bases, Nathan Martinez drew a five-pitch, game-ending walk from Presbyterian reliever Marroquin to force in Rogers.

The chaotic finish overshadowed monumental offensive performances from Presbyterian’s middle of the order. Third baseman Matthew Rollison went 4 for 5 with a home run, a double and four RBIs. Designated hitter Emory Guilford was 3 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs, and right fielder Amman Dewberry hit a three-run homer in the ninth that appeared to be the decisive blow, putting the Blue Hose ahead 12-5.

Presbyterian (6-25, 1-1) built its lead behind strong relief work from Jeremiah Hampton and Robbie Boykin, who combined for five hitless innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out four. Starter Tyrell Williams struggled, allowing four earned runs in three innings.

Charleston Southern chipped away early. A solo homer by Reising in the second and an RBI single from Wolfley in the third made it 3-2. The Buccaneers then plated three in the fourth, keyed by an RBI single from Martinez and a run-scoring double play, to tie the game at 5-5.

The Blue Hose responded. Rollison’s two-run homer in the third gave them an early lead, and his two-run double in the eighth extended it to 9-5. Guilford’s two-run shot in the seventh and Dewberry’s three-run blast in the ninth seemed to put the game out of reach.

But the Buccaneers refused to quit in the ninth. Trailing 12-8 with two outs and the bases loaded, Speirs delivered the game-tying grand slam, setting a new season-high for runs in an inning for Charleston Southern.

In the 10th, Presbyterian went down in order against Buccaneers reliever Hayden Henry, who struck out the side. Henry earned the win, while Marroquin took the loss for Presbyterian.

The victory marked a significant turnaround for Charleston Southern, which was projected to win by Interstat’s game simulator with a score of 5-3 and was given a 69.7% probability of victory by its ELO system. Instead, the teams combined for 25 runs and 29 hits.

The teams will continue their three-game conference series on Saturday.