CONWAY, S.C. - No. 5 Charleston Southern dropped game one at the 2010 Big South Softball Tournament, falling 8-3 vs. the No. 4 seeded Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Thursday, at the CCU Softball Field. The Bucs scored first in the game, but later committed three errors, resulting in five unearned runs for the Bulldogs. GWU (22-30) advances to play in the 4:30 p.m. game vs. the No. 1 seeded Radford Highlanders. CSU (29-27-1) will now look to battle trough the loser's bracket, starting tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. vs. the loser of No. 2 Liberty and No. 7 Presbyterian.

Megan Hall paced the CSU offense with two hits and two runs scored. Shayla Cullum also tallied an RBI hit, while Trea Steele chipped in with a hit and a run scored. GWU had four players with multiple hits, led by Christa Fullword, who posted two hits, three runs scored and four RBIs.

CSU got on the board first, generating a run after two hits in the inning. Hall had a lead-off single to start the game, followed by a Megan Lombard sacrifice bunt to put Hall in scoring position. Cullum delivered for the Bucs, with an RBI single through the left side.

The Bulldogs didn't take long to answer, posting a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Fullwood reached base safely, thanks to a Buccaneer miscue, followed by a McKenzie Morenus bunt single to put two on with no out. Both runners would advance on a wild pitch, but Sondra Vetter responded nicely for CSU, allowing just one run to score on a sacrifice fly from Lindsea Hutchinson.

Gardner-Webb plated another two runs in the second, despite two strikeouts to start the inning for Vetter. Jane Savage started the two out rally, with a single through the left side, followed by a stolen base. Fullword singled up the middle to score the first run and advanced to second on the throw home. Morenus kept it going with her second hit of the day, using an RBI single to right center to put the Bulldogs on top 3-1.

After three blank innings for CSU, the Bucs got going in the top of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs on four hits. Steele blasted a double to the left field fence to start the inning and advanced to third, thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Melissa Adams. Hall sent the runner home with an RBI single and advanced all the way home to score the equalizer, after two Bulldog errors in a single play. CSU looked to take back the lead with two more hits in the inning, but Lombard was gunned down at home to keep the score at 3-3.

GWU managed to answer again, this time breaking the game open with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kelsey Witter smoked a ball out to center field to start the inning, but Adams robbed a homerun for the first out.

The Bulldogs were all over the ball however, with consecutive hits from Hutchinson and Melody Harrell resulting in the first run of the inning. Montgomery reached on an error from there, to score another run and put GWU up 5-3. Savage kept the rally going, posting her third hit of the day to put two on with two outs. The stage was set for Fullword, who delivered with a three-run homerun, to give the Bulldogs a commanding 8-3 lead.

After an eventful fifth inning, both teams were scoreless in the sixth, giving CSU three outs to extend the game. Cindy Boomhower was in to throw in relief in the final two inning for GWU, holding the Bucs scoreless. The top of the seventh was the quickest of the game, as Boomhower retired three in order on just four pitches.

Murray picked up the win to improve to 11-14 on the year, after allowing six hits and three earned runs in five innings of work. Vetter took the loss and dropped to 9-16, after surrendering 11 hits and three earned runs in four and one third innings of work.

"The goal heading in to the tournament is to set the tone and get off to a good start. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that today," said Head Coach Shane Winkler. "We had a great opportunity at the start of the game after scoring first and gaining some momentum. In a tournament like this, each team gets three outs, it's what you can do with those three outs that makes the difference. In two separate innings, we gave them more than three outs to work with and that's what hurt more than anything."

You can keep track of all the results in the Big South Tournament and upcoming match ups at the Big South Championship Page.