CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Southern softball team claimed a berth in the 2011 Lowcountry Invitational championship game with an 11-3, five-inning victory over UNC Wilmington Saturday, March 5. CSU then fell to unbeaten USC Upstate, 5-2, in the final, as the Buccaneers took home second place at their home invitational.

The Buccaneers (8-11) earned a runner-up standing for the first time this season in four tournaments entered, going 2-2 on the weekend. USC Upstate, receiving votes in the latest national rankings, improves to 22-0 with the 4-0 showing. Upstate's senior pitcher Morgan Childers was named tournament MVP, going 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA and 35 strikeouts. Georgetown defeated UNC Wilmington in the consolation game to earn third place.

The host institution opened the day with an 11-3 win in five innings over UNC Wilmington. The Buccaneers put five runs on the board in the first, and built an 8-0 lead with a three-run second inning. Megan Lombard led off the fifth with a home run to provide CSU an 11-3 lead, ending the ballgame due to run-rule, CSU's second run-rule victory this season.

Erin Kegley, Jessica Brock and Trea Steele registered two hits apiece against UNCW, with Kegley and Brock recording two RBI each. Kegley hit a double and a triple, while Steele and Lombard hit homers. Ari Tedesco went 1-for-2 with a career-high two RBI.

Kimberly Hobbs (6-4) went the distance for her third complete game this season, allowing three runs on seven hits. Amanda Davenport drew the loss, falling to 1-5 on the season after yielding five runs on five hits in the one inning pitched. Candice Faircloth pitched the rest of the way, allowing six runs on five hits.

Seven Seahawks earned hits, including a two-run home run by Ashley Shingleton.

CSU opened up a five-run lead during its first time at bat. With two on and nobody out, Kegley belted a triple to drive in Lombard and Courtney Konyk. Brock followed with an RBI single. Ari Tedesco batted in Brock and Melanie Stickney, giving the Bucs a 5-0 advantage.

The Bucs tacked on three runs in the second, as Brock recorded and RBI single and Matthews walked with the bases loaded. Brock scored an unearned run, good for an 8-0 lead, as Tedesco reached on an error.

UNCW chipped away at the deficit, scoring one run on an Allison Lanouette single in the top of the third. The Seahawks then pulled to within five at 8-3 with a two-run homer by Shingleton in the top of the fourth.

The hosts responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Steele led off the inning with a home run to left center. With two outs, Lizzy Olmstead posted her first collegiate RBI, driving in Hayes Holdsworth to provide a 10-3 score.

After a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning, Lombarrd ended the contest at 11-3 with a solo shot to right center, her third homer of the season.

Box Score CSU 11 UNC Wilmington 3

The Buccaneers faced undefeated USC Upstate in the final game, falling 5-2 in a tightly-contested game. CSU recorded seven hits against Upstate's Morgan Childers, who was named tournament MVP after raising her record to 16-0 on the season.

Megan Lombard batted 2-for-4 against Upstate. Jana Matthews hit her second home run of the season, just the third given up by Childers all season. Stephanie Sbardella drove in a run with her seventh double of the campaign. Tedesco ran her hitting streak to a team-best seven games with a single in the seventh inning.

Childers earned the win with 15 strikeouts, allowing two runs on seven hits. CSU's Morgan Dowdy fell to 2-7 on the season, yielding four earned runs on nine hits in six innings pitched.

USC Upstate got on the board first, as Kim Brasil led off the bottom of the first with a triple and was driven in by Katie Zauner. Zauner then scored a run on a error, good for a 2-0 lead. Dowdy retired the final batter to end the inning.

The Bucs responded with one run to slice the deficit in half in the top of the second, as Matthews drove the ball over the left field wall for a home run. Childers struck out Sbardella to end the inning.

The Spartans duplicated their first-inning run output in the second inning and took a 4-1 lead when Janna Lewis drove in Katelyn Molkenthin and Lindsay Kelly.

After a scoreless third inning, CSU drew to within two runs with a tally in the top of the fourth on an RBI double from Sbardella that drove in Steele. Upstate responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth on a Cheyanna Olrich RBI double.

CSU threatened in the top of the sixth with a one-out double from Brock, but the rally was foiled by a pair of strikeouts. Down to their last at bat, the Buccaneers rallied in the bottom of the seventh. They loaded the bases on singles by Tedesco and Lombard and a hit by pitch to Kelleher. Kegley then grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game, 5-2.

Box Score USC Upstate 5 CSU 2

Postgame interview video

CSU will remain in Charleston for the next two games, as the Buccaneers play host to Furman Wednesday, March 9 in a doubleheader that starts at 2 p.m. Wednesday will be Furman's third twin bill in four days, as the Paladins face Charlotte on Sunday and play host to NC Central Tuesday.