CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern dropped game three of the season series vs. the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, falling 5-3 Wednesday, at Buccaneer Field. Kristin Kelleher sent out a solo homerun to keep the game within reach for the Bucs, but two seventh inning Chanticleer runs provided some insurance en route to the final 5-3 score. After losing the season series 2-1, CSU fell to 21-22-1 overall with a 5-7 mark in the Big South, while CCU improved to 20-21 and 2-4 in conference play.

Shayla Cullum paced the Buccaneer offense, going 3 for 3 with a run scored in the game. Kelleher was the only other CSU player to record a multi hit game, with two hits and a solo homerun. Jazmin Daigle led the way for the Chanticleers, with three hits and a run scored.

Kimberly Hobbs brought some of her best stuff to the circle for CSU, retiring the first six batters of the game in order. Hobbs had four strikeouts in the first three innings, holding CCU scoreless in that time.

Katelin Edwards also had a strong start for the Chanticleers, allowing just two hits, while striking out three in three scoreless innings. CCU got going in the top of the third, lighting up the scoreboard with three runs on five hits. The Chanticleers had five consecutive hits in the inning, complete with RBI hits from Stacy Snellings and Michelle Evans, helping CCU to a 3-0 lead.

The Bucs bounced back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth after two hits. Cullum started the inning with a lead-off double and would later score, thanks to an RBI groundout from Jana Matthews. Kelleher kept the bats going, posting a solo homerun to left center, making it a 3-2 score.

The fifth and sixth innings were blanks for both teams, with Caitlin Allen coming in to throw for CSU. The Bucs had the lead runner on in the sixth, thanks to a Megan Hall walk, but she was quickly picked off at first. Cullum tried to spark the offense with another single, but two pop ups ended the inning with no runs scored.

The Chanticleers provided some insurance runs in the top of the seventh, using three hits and two Buccaneer errors to score two runs. Ashley Pisone and Sarah Maples had back-to-back hits, to score the first run. Daigle posted her third hit of the game to score one more after a CSU throwing error, for a 5-2 advantage.

The Bucs looked to make a game out of it with a late rally in the bottom of the seventh, putting a pair of runners on after Trea Steele was hit by a pitch and Courtney Konyk singled to third base. With two outs on the board, Megan Lombard had some timely hitting, cutting in to the deficit with an RBI single. The offense was too little too late however, as the game ended on a groundout for a final 5-3 score.

Edwards picked up the win to improve to 10-7 on the year, after allowing seven hits and three runs in a complete game. Hobbs took the loss and fell to 7-6, after giving up six hits and three runs in four innings of work.

CSU will stay at home this weekend, when they play host to the Winthrop Eagles in a three game series, starting with a doubleheader on Friday at 2 p.m.