CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern posted a 1-1 record during the first day of the 2011 Lowcountry Invitational Friday, March 4 at Buccaneer Field. The Bucs fell to undefeated USC Upstate, 5-0, before defeating Georgetown of the Big East by a score of 8-6.

CSU's record stands at 7-10 after Friday's win and loss. USC Upstate is now 20-0 on the season, and 2-0 in the tournament, while Georgetown falls to 2-10, 0-2 so far this weekend.

A five-run fourth inning gave USC Upstate all the runs it would need, as the Spartans ran their winning streak to 20 with a 5-0 win over the Buccaneers.

Morgan Childers advanced her record to 14-0, registering her eighth shutout of the season while allowing five hits and striking out 15. CSU's Morgan Dowdy allowed five runs, two earned, going the distance for her fourth complete game of the season. Dowdy yielded just one hit outside of the fourth inning.

Five CSU players registered a single hit apiece, and Megan Lombard reached twice, being hit by a pitch two times.

USC Upstate had six players earn hits, and received two RBI apiece from Kim Brasil and Lauren Quevedo.

The game proved to be a pitchers' duel in the early going, as CSU got the game's first hit in the bottom of the second. The Bucs added a single in the third, but were unable to generate a run.

Dowdy pitched three hitless innings to open the game. Upstate began the fourth with a single, and Quevedo hit a two-RBI double with one out. Quevedo advanced to third on a groundout. A throwing error then extended the inning, allowing Quevedo to score for a 3-0 Spartan lead. Two batters later, Brasil singled in a pair to give Upstate a 5-0 advantage. Dowdy got out of the inning with a force out in the next at bat.

The Bucs recorded one hit in three out of the final four innings, and threatened to score in each of those three frames. In the fourth, CSU placed the first two players on base, but Childers retired the side.

Two more Buccaneers reached in the fifth, but a strikeout defused the rally. Down to their last time at bat, CSU loaded the bases with two outs. Trea Steeele singled to lead off the inning, and a walk to Melissa Adams was followed by a hit by pitch for Lombard. Childers struck out her 15th batter to end the game for the 5-0 win.

Box Score USC Upstate 5 CSU 0

CSU bounced back with an 8-6 victory over the Big East's Georgetown Hoyas in the team's second contest of the day. The Bucs scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings, and pulled ahead with a four-run fifth frame. Charleston Southern held off a late Hoya rally for the win.

The Buccaneers trailed 5-4 after Georgetown scored a run in the top of the fifth, but the team scored four times in the bottom of the frame. Dowdy came on in relief of Kimberly Hobbs, earning her second save of the season.

CSU scored eight runs on nine hits against Georgetown. Kristin Kelleher and Trea Steele each stroked two hits on the afternoon. Kelleher hit two doubles and scored a pair of runs, while Steele drove in two runs. Jessica Brock recorded three RBI, one in each of CSU's scoring innings. Stephanie Sbardella drove in two runs, providing runs seven and eight.

Georgetown registered six runs on eight hits. Cara Savarese went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Regan Page hit a three-run home run in the second, and Shikara Lowe hit a solo shot in the first.

Hobbs won her fifth game of the season, allowing five runs on six hits wile striking out four in five innings pitched. Dowdy earned the save by pitching the final three frames. Hannah Slovacek (0-3) drew the loss, yielding six runs on five hits in four innings.

Georgetown struck first on a home run by Lowe, and the Hoyas led, 1-0, after a half-inning. The Bucs responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, loading the bases with one out. Brock earned an RBI on a fielder's choice, and Steele gave CSU a 2-1 lead with an RBI single, driving in Kegley.

The Hoyas regained the lead at 4-2 with a three-run homer from Page, as Savarese and Kristi Preuss also crossed the plate, all with nobody out. Hobbs retired the final two batters in the inning.

CSU tied up the ballgame with a two-run third inning, as Brock pushed Kelleher across the plate with a sacrifice fly and Steele followed with a single to plate Kegley.

After a scoreless fourth inning, GU took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth frame on a sacrifice fly by Lowe.

The Buccaneers bounced back with a big inning in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third with nobody out, Jana Matthews laced an RBI single down the line. Brock gave CSU a 6-5 edge with a single up the middle, and Sbardella followed suit, driving in a pair with a solid single. CSU led, 8-5, after five innings.

Georgetown managed one run in the top of the seventh inning, and placed the tying run on base with two outs. Lombard fielded the ensuing ground ball and flipped to Steele for the game-ending force.

Box Score CSU 8 Georgetown 6

The Buccaneers will compete against UNC Wilmington Saturday at 11 a.m., and will then play in either the consolation or championship game to conclude the tournament. The winner of tomorrow's game between CSU and UNCW advances to the championship game against USC Upstate.