CARY — Two former Carolina RailHawks, Dan Antoniuk and Frankie Sanfilippo, were welcomed back over the PA system as starting lineups were announced before Friday's game with the Charleston Battery.

And that's not where the welcoming ended.

Both men made themselves at home all over again, teaming to each score in the 2-1 Battery win. It didn't take long for Antoniuk to get reacquainted with the surroundings at WakeMed Soccer Park, as he scored the game's first goal in just third minute.

After a Tsuyoshi Yoshitake shot was blocked, Antoniuk gathered the ball back and lifted a strike from just outside the 18-foot box into back right of net.

The hits continued for Carolina when arguably their best defender, Amir Lowery, was sent off in the 18th minute after being issued a red card after throwing an elbow in the direction of Charleston forward Ian Fuller's head.

It didn't appear the elbow connected, nor that there was any intent as Lowery had his back turned and was positioning to receive a free kick, but Fuller dropped to the ground in apparent agon and Lowery was gone.

RailHawk coach Martin Rennie said that the call eventually cost his team the game after having to go 10-on-11.

"We didn't start the game very well but I'm very pleased with how we played after we went down to 10 men," Rennie said. "We worked as hard as we can work and in the end we were unlucky not to get something out of the game."

It was the fifth red card handed out at WakeMed Soccer Park in just four games, and the RailHawks picked up two more yellow cards in a first period that saw 21 fouls in all.

"There's only been about two bad tackles in all the games so I don't know why they're doing that," Rennie said. "It's a shame because it's having a big impact on the game and it's a shame because fans that are wanting to see good soccer are getting stifled by the referee."

Playing a man down the rest of the way, the RailHawks gave up a goal to Sanfilippo in the 54th minute. Like Antoniuk, Sanfilippo hit a strike from just outside the 18-foot box into the opposite side of the goal.

But unlike Antoniuk, Sanfilippo pranced and danced his way around the field, making sure to stare down the stands during his celebration.

"We weren't tight enough on those guys," Rennie said. "Around the box you've got to be real close, you've got to marking tightly, and if you don't then you stand to lose a goal."

Reserve forward Gavin Glinton scored his second goal of the year in the 73rd minute — just a minute after entering the game on a substitution — as he nailed in a rebound after the initial Brian Plotkin shot was denied.

Glinton was also playing against his former team.

The loss kept the RailHawks' streak of 28 games (0-25-3) without a win after conceding the first goal continued, while its streak of perfection against Charleston (6-1-0) ended.

After the game, the RailHawks are still in first place in the USL-1 standings, but are now tied with Rochester after the Rhinos defeated Montreal.

Carolina still stands to lose that position if there is not a tie during Sunday's game between Puerto Rico and Vancouver.