CHARLESTON, S.C. - After dropping the first game of the CSU Round Robin, the Charleston Southern softball team bounced back in a major way in the night cap, as they defeated the Fairfield Stags in the bottom of the eighth inning by a 4-3 score on Friday night.
With the game tied at three after seven innings, the Stags (4-13) had a runner at third base with one out, when a fly ball to centerfield was gloved by
Weslin Jones, who then threw out the runner at the plate trying to score from third base. This set the stage for
Jordyn Dimond, who came to the plate in the bottom of the inning with two outs and runners at second and third base. Dimond singled to centerfield on a line drive scoring
Blakley Kingsmore to solidify the Buccaneers' (10-11) victory.
Charleston Southern had the early lead when
Charlee Yourman scored Dimond with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. The lead extended to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, as
Carsten Sandvig hit her third home run of the season to center field.
Riley Lauffer was dominant on the mound early for the Buccaneers, allowing just two hits through the first 5.0 innings. In the sixth inning, the Stags were able to get back into the game with a leadoff home run. Then, a few Buccaneer errors allowed for the Stags to tie the game at three, but Lauffer was able to get out of the inning with the score tied. She earned the win for Charleston Southern, throwing all 8.0 innings, allowing just one earned run, and striking out six batters while not surrendering a walk.
Offensively, Yourman and Dimond were responsible for four of the Buccaneers' six hits, as both players also drove home runs. Sandvig was 1 for 3 at the plate with two RBI, and Kingsmore came around to score twice.
The win capped off a 1-1 start to the CSU Round Robin, as the Buccaneers fell to the UNC Greensboro Spartans in the afternoon slot by a 13-1 score in five innings. The Spartans (19-7) exploded for seven runs in the first inning off
Mackenzie Rutkoff, who lasted 0.2 innings allowing seven runs (4 ER) on seven hits. She was responsible with the loss to fall to 1-3 on the season.
Kinsey Clopton threw the final 4.1 innings in relief allowing six runs on seven hits with 5 BB's and 5 K's.
On Deck
The CSU Round Robin continues Saturday, as the Buccaneers will pick back up at 12:30 PM against Fairfield followed by a rematch with UNC Greensboro. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
