CHARLESTON, S.C. - After earning a doubleheader split this week against the UNC Greensboro Spartans, the Charleston Southern softball team will hit the road once again for two games with the Furman Paladins on Saturday.
These two teams faced off last year, as the Bucs (9-9) took the 5-4 win. That win snapped a five-game losing streak against the Paladins, who lead the overall series 32-15, including a 19-3 record at home.
Furman comes in with an overall record of 5-16, but have only played five games at home, winning two of those games. Picked to finish in fourth place in the SOCON, the Paladins are looking to build off of a 22-33 season in 2022, where they went to the SOCON Tournament semi-finals.
The Paladins had four players named to the All-Conference team, including First-Team All-SOCON centerfielder Ashlee Lykins. Outfielder Caitlin Goldwait, catcher Riley Ludlam and pitcher Sierra Tufts were named to the second team. Ludlam leads the team with a .392 batting average and four home runs.
Stacey Johnson-Whitfield is in her first season as Head Coach in Greenville, S.C. and her second season overall with the program. Her team last year exceeded expectations, finishing sixth in the conference. Johnson-Whitfield was a four-year standout at South Carolina from 2001-04. She ranks among the the elite in school history with 485 career strikeouts and 63 career victories.
Meanwhile, Charleston Southern is coming off of a doubleheader split with the UNC Greensboro Spartans, where once again,
Annah Junge was marvelous on the mound. The senior from Ballwin, MO pitched her fourth complete-game shutout of the season, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. This season, she owns an 8-1 record with a 2.08 ERA. She has appeared in 11 games with 9 starts.
Offensively, the Bucs were led by
Harper Schoeneweis, who went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI. Game two was a different story, as the Bucs were shut out with a 12-0 loss, where the pitching staff combined to walk 9 batters.
As a team, CSU is looking to get going offensively. They are hitting just .216 combined with a .273 slugging percentage. Appearing in all 18 games,
Ashley Meckley is the leading hitter with a .294 batting average. Schoeneweis is right behind her with a .289 batting average. Those are the only two batters to hit above .250.
Game Details
Who: Charleston Southern vs Furman
When: Saturday, March 11
th at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Where: Pepsi Stadium in Greenville, S.C.
How to Watch: ESPN+
