CHARLESTON, S.C. – One swing of the bat by Ashley Meckley proved to be the difference Wednesday, as the Charleston Southern softball team earned a 2-0 victory over Georgia Southern at the CSU Softball Complex in a weather-shortened contest. The game made it through the necessary 4.5 innings to be declared official when lightning was detected, pulling the teams off the field with the Bucs getting ready to bat in the bottom of the fifth. Further delays prevented the game from being restarted, and canceling the second contest of the scheduled doubleheader, putting CSU back in the win column.

SHUTDOWN IN THE CIRCLE
Charleston Southern (16-19) rode the arm of freshman hurler Blake Holtorf, who was masterful in her 5.0 innings. She allowed the Eagles just two hits and struck out four on her way to facing just two over the minimum in the victory.

The Buccaneers defense was in full support of their starter. After Ashleigh Duty led off by reaching on an error, she was caught trying to steal second base as catcher Gracie Prince's throw to Meckley at shortstop halted the advancement. Holtorf then used strikeouts to record the final two outs of the inning, a streak which continued into the top of the second with the leadoff hitter, spanning three-in-a-row.

A 1-2-3 top of the second preceded an Aniston Johnson leadoff single in the third. She eventually found her way over to third but was left stranded 60 feet away. Jess Mazur added the only other Georgia Southern (9-22) hit, a leadoff single in the fourth, but the visitors were unable to create much of a threat. Chandler Caldwell entered as a pinch runner but created the final out of the inning on another 2-6 caught stealing attempt.

Holtorf induced another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, unknowingly the last time GS would have at-bats in the contest.

MECKLEY GOES STRAIGHT AWAY
Prince and Meckley have shared the leadoff position throughout the spring with the freshman backstop being the first up to the plate for nearly two weeks. She continued to pay dividends, singling to left center off Georgia Southern starter Rylee Waldrep. Not wasting any time, Meckley followed with a two-run blast to straight away center field, plating both runs and providing the difference in the matchup. It marks her second home run of the season.

Waldrep held the Bucs in check until a leadoff single by Weslin Jones in the bottom of the third but CSU was unable to advance her past first base. Raleigh Lewis and Madison Koger both added singles in the home half of the fourth, the final time Charleston Southern would be at the plate, but neither were able to create much of a stir on the base paths.

BACK TO CONFERENCE PLAY
The Buccaneers put a cap on their six-game homestand with Wednesday's outing and now return their focus to a Big South road trip. Charleston Southern heads to the Upstate to meet Winthrop in a three-game league series in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Action begins with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. followed by Sunday's single game at the same start time.