CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern sophomore Morgan Dowdy pitched back-to-back shutouts against Big South-leading Radford Saturday, May 7. Dowdy's pitching, combined with stellar defense and timely hitting, led CSU to a pair of 3-0 wins over the Highlanders.

With the two wins, CSU has won the series, making the Bucs the first team to shut out Radford in Big South play and the first team to take a series from the Highlanders in 2011. CSU (24-30, 10-7 Big South) has also tied the program record for most Big South wins in a single season. Radford, the Big South Regular Season Champion, is now 34-19, 13-4 in conference play.

CSU has now put itself in a position to pass Presbyterian (10-8) for the third seed in the Big South Tournament with a win tomorrow. Also, the team could pass Liberty for second place if CSU wins and Liberty (10-7) loses on Sunday.

Dowdy (11-18) pitched all 14 innings on Saturday, throwing her second and third shutouts of the season while yielding just seven hits.

Megan Lombard tied the program record for career home runs with her 20th, going yard in game two.

CSU's game one win was its first over Radford since April 22, 2006, and also was the first time Radford had been shut out in conference play since 2008. The Bucs scratched across single runs in the second, third and sixth innings for the 3-0 win.

In game one, Dowdy allowed four hits, and faced just 24 batters in picking up her 10th win of the season. Stephanie Dameron drew the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits.

Erin Kegley, who participated in CSU's commencement ceremonies prior to Saturday's doubleheader, batted 2-for-3 with one RBI, and Stephanie Sbardella added one RBI. Jana Matthews doubled, her 10th of the year, while Trea Steele and Jessica Brock recorded four assists each.

For Radford, four batters registered singles in Nicholle Beall, Hannah Ojeda, Jessie Hutchens and Lauren Williams.

CSU scored once in the second inning of the first contest. Jessica Brock walked to lead off. Pinch runner Courtney Konyk got to third on two groundouts, and scored when RU first baseman Taylor Cunningham dropped the throw from third base, making it 1-0.

After a scoreless top of the third for Radford, CSU tacked on another run when Kegley drove in Tedesco with a single to short.

Steele made two assists in a 1-2-3 fourth inning, and Radford posted just one hit over the final four innings. Brock earned two assists in the sixth inning.

The Bucs received an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, recording three hits in the frame. Kegley led off with a single, and was erased on a Jessica Brock fielder's choice. Matthews then stroked a double to the opposite field. Sbardella plated Brock for a 3-0 lead with a line-drive single to left. Matthews was thrown out at the dish to end the inning.

Radford went in order in the seventh, and Trea Steele made a fantastic running catch to end the ballgame, a 3-0 CSU win.

Game One Box Score

The Bucs maintained the same intensity in the circle and in the field during game two, and received a pair of solo home runs in the second 3-0 victory of the day.

Dowdy pitched a complete-game three-hitter in game two, tying her career low for hits allowed in a game. Chelsea Kelley fell to 5-7, yielding two runs on three hits in three innings. Kellie Snooks finished the ballgame, allowing one run on four hits.

Megan Lombard hit her eighth home run of the season, and program-record-tying 20th of her career. Brock added her fourth homer of the year, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Kegley fashioned another 2-for-3 outing.

Kristen Shifflett, Taylor Cunningham and Shannon Keefe recorded singles for Radford.

After two-and-a-half scoreless innings, Lombard got CSU on the scoreboard with a one-out solo blast to left field in the bottom of the third.

The Highlanders threatened in the top of the fourth inning, loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk with only one out. Dowdy induced a popout, and then got Keefe to ground the ball to second. Michelle Beall interfered with Steele as the second baseman attempted to field the grounder, resulting in the third out.

Brock went deep for a 2-0 CSU lead to begin the bottom half of the fourth inning, resulting in a pitching change. Matthews singled, but CSU did no more damage in the fourth.

Dowdy allowed no hits the rest of the way, but ran into trouble in the sixth. She hit Shifflett and walked Nichole Beall with nobody out. A groundout moved the runners to second and third. Then, Keefe lined out to Matthews in left, who then threw out Shifflett attempting to score, quieting the rally and ending the inning.

CSU added one run in the bottom of the sixth. Kegley singled to lead off the inning, and Konyk pinch-ran for her. She advanced to second on a passed ball. Brock then singled up the middle, bringing home Konyk for the third run of the game.

A pair of groundouts to short and an unassisted putout by first baseman Kristin Kelleher sealed the 3-0 victory.

Game Two Box Score

Game Highlights

Coach Winkler Postgame Interview

Dowdy Postgame Interview

The Buccaneers and Highlanders conlude the series on Sunday, as there will be a brief Senior Day ceremony before the 1 p.m. regular-season finale. Seniors Kimberly Hobbs, Erin Kegley and Sondra Vetter will be honored prior to Sunday's contest.