DeLand, Fla. - Charleston Southern split a pair of games Friday, Feb. 25 during the first day of the 2011 Hatter Classic, hosted by Stetson University. The Buccaneers fell to Valparaiso, 4-1, before defeating 2010 NCAA Tournament competitor Bethune-Cookman by a 3-2 score.

With their 1-1 record on Friday, CSU is now 4-8 for the season. The team snapped its six-game winless streak by defeating Bethune-Cookman (3-8) in the second game.

The Buccaneers opened the day with a 4-1 setback at the hands of Valparaiso. The Crusaders scored twice in the second and third innings to account for their four tallies.

Sam McGee (2-0) allowed one unearned run on five hits, going the distance for the win. CSU's Morgan Dowdy went to 2-4 after giving up four runs on five hits in four innings.

The Buccaneers recorded five hits, including doubles by Megan Lombard and Stephanie Sbardella. Valparaiso's Jessie Marinec and Jennifer Hermanson each posted two hits.

CSU had a rally going in the first inning, as Kelleher walked with one out. Kegley followed with a single to left field. Both runners were left on, as Valparaiso retired the remaining two hitters.

Dowdy allowed just one hit in the first two innings, but Valparaiso scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Jennifer Hermanson singled. Jordan Rutkowski followed with a two-run home run, good for a 2-0 lead.

Valpo followed a scoreless CSU half of the fourth inning by adding a pair of runs. KC Boldt led off with a single, and Jessie Marinec drove her in with a triple. Marinec then made it 4-0 by scoring on a wild pitch.

The Buccaneers responded with a run in the top of the sixth inning, as Stephanie Sbardella drove in Trea Steele with her sixth double of the season. Steele reached base on a two-base throwing error, and came around to score CSU's first run, slicing the deficit to three at 4-1.

Hobbs completed her second shutout inning by stranding a Crusader runner at third base with two outs in the sixth inning, and CSU came to bat for the final time. Lombard hit a two-out double, but was stranded as the game ended.

Box Score Valparaiso 4 - CSU 1

CSU bounced back with a 3-2 victory over Bethune Cookman, registering nine hits as a team and pushing all three runs across in the fourth inning. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the third, but CSU charged back for the come-from-behind win. Melissa Adams provided the winning hit, a two-RBI single.

Hobbs worked four and one-thirds innings, improving to 2-4 on the season while allowing two runs on two hits, striking out three. Morgan Dowdy earned her first save of the season while pitching a spotless two and two-thirds innings to close the ballgame. Chastity Sanders drew the loss, pitching three innings, falling to 1-3 in 2011.

Eight Buccaneers recorded hits against Bethune-Cookman. Erin Kegley batted 2-for-3, while Adams registered two RBI. Hayes Holdsworth reached base twice, getting a hit and drawing a walk.

Cesley Tafoya led B-C with a 2-for-2 performance and two RBI.

Bethune-Cookman scored first, manufacturing a run in the top of the third inning. The Wildcats had runners on first and third with two outs, and Tafoya earned an RBI with a single to right. Hobbs struck out Kelsey Rodney to end the inning with B-C ahead, 1-0.

A pair of two-out singles by Lombard and Kristin Kelleher gave CSU momentum in the bottom of the third. Sanders then got Jessica Brock to fly out to end the inning.

CSU broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning, placing its first three batters on as Jana Matthews, Kegley, and Holdsworth all reached with nobody out. After a fielder's choice, Jasmine Conley grounded out to drive in Matthews and tie the game at 1-1. Adams then laced a single to left, scoring Sbardella and Holdsworth for a 3-1 CSU advantage.

Bethune-Cookman's first batter in the fifth inning struck out. The team followed with a walk and a double, puttng runners on second and third. Dowdy then came on in relief, yielding a sacrifice fly to Tafoya which brought B-C to within one run at 3-2. Dowdy got the last out, and CSU remained ahead through five innings.

The Buccaneers threatened again in the sixth, with three batters reaching base with two outs. A flyout ended the rally, and Dowdy put the finishing touches on the 3-2 win with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout in the seventh to end the ballgame.

Box Score CSU 3 - Bethune-Cookman 2

The Buccaneers return to the diamond for two more games Saturday at the Hatter Classic. CSU will face Bethune-Cookman at 11 a.m. before taking on the host Hatters of Stetson University at 4 p.m.