Bucs Ready to Tame Tigers

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Southern softball team looks to head into Big South play on a high note when it takes on Savannah State Wednesday at Buccaneer Field. First pitch of the doubleheader between the Bucs and the Lady Tigers is slated for 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS

CSU Ready for Final Out-of-Conference Tune-Up
CSU looks to head into Big South Conference play hot when it hosts Savannah State in a doubleheader. The Bucs are coming off an 8-1 win over Ohio on Monday, as Megan Lombard led the way by cracking her first home run of the year and driving in three runs. Morgan Dowdy did the job in the circle yet again, hurling a complete game while allowing only the single run. The Bucs have not taken on the Lady Tigers during Shane Winkler’s tenure at CSU, but do have experience against the MEAC this year. CSU played Hampton three times during the first installment of the Charleston Southern Tournament in late February, taking all three games by a composite score of 21-4. Savannah State split two of four contests at its home classic this weekend, and enters 11-14. The Bucs and Lady Tigers do not have any common opponents as of yet, but Savannah State did take on Big South foe Liberty on February 24, dropping a doubleheader at home.

Lombard Goes Yard, Gives Matthews Company at Top of CSU Record Book
Megan Lombard left the yard a team-high 8 times last season, but was homer-less through her first 74 at-bats of this season after an out in her first turn Monday against Ohio. The senior shortstop ended that stretch with authority in her second trip to the plate, launching a no-doubt about it, two-run shot over the left field fence. That homer ties Lombard with teammate Jana Matthews for the most circuit clouts in program history, with 21. Lombard scalded a line drive to left in her third at-bat, and then ripped a run-scoring double to the left-center field alleyway in CSU’s six-run 6th inning. Lombard raked at a .330 clip last year, but is hitting .234 through 2012’s first 26 games. A hot streak from Lombard would certainly be a welcome occurrence for Shane Winkler’s team as they embark on Big South competition this weekend. Even with her slow start, Lombard has made progress in several different categories of the CSU record book.
• Home Runs: 21 (T-1st, 21 (Jana Matthews))    
• RBI: 97 (3rd, 109)
• Slugging Percentage: .520 (1st, .520)  
• Hits: 200 (3rd, 207)
• Total Bases: 321 (1st, 321)   
• OBP:  .392 (3rd, .413) 
• Doubles: 40 (2nd, 47)    

Wagner Looking to Give Offense a Boost
Hannah Wagner had not started a game since March 2 before this past weekend, but the freshman catcher/first baseman from Chico, Calif. made the most of her time against Longwood and Ohio. Wagner went 4-for-9 with a run scored over that three-game period, and also drew two walks. A bona fide power threat who led the California North Section with a .733 slugging percentage, Wagner entered the year figuring to be a factor and her emergence would certainly be big for a Bucs offense which has scuffled at times during the out-of-conference slate.