Charleston Southern sweeps day one of Buccaneer Invitational

Friday, February 17

Charleston, S.C.

12 pm

Charleston Southern University Athletics

3-5

Virginia

3-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Virginia	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	6	0
Charleston So.	0	0	1	3	0	0	X	4	9	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
East Tennessee State	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	4	1
Charleston So.	0	1	3	0	0	0	X	4	7	0

Charleston Southern sweeps day one of Buccaneer Invitational

2/17/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern swept day one of the Buccaneer Invitational with wins against Virginia and East Tennessee State University on Friday afternoon. Senior Brittany McPherson led the Buccaneers (4-5) at the plate with a home run in both of the CSU wins. Junior Cheyenne Gandara and freshman Holly Clark led the Bucs in the circle with each pitcher going the distance and pitching a full seven innings to combine for eight strikeouts on the day.

Game One: Charleston Southern 4, Virginia 3

Charleston Southern captured its first home win in its first game of the Buccaneer Invitational, defeating Virginia 4-3 on Friday afternoon.

CSU got on the board in the bottom of the third inning after Gandara held Virginia (3-4) to just one hit in the Cavaliers' first three at-bats. Georgi DeLio set up the run with a single to left center and Rebekah Lenos came in to pinch run. Matsumoto kept things going with a rip through the left side to move Lenos to third, and Jade Gandara followed with a sacrifice fly to center to put the Bucs up 1-0.

The Cavaliers were put away in the top of the fourth as Cheyenne Gandara pitched her second hitless inning. CSU kept the bats going with a double to left center from Caitlyn Emberson. Taylor Powell came in to pinch run and scored on another double in the left center gap from Mallory Kasinger. McPherson added two more runs with a home run to center field for her second of the season and the 4-0 CSU lead.

Virginia attempted a comeback in the top of the fifth with a solo home run from McCall Miller to open the inning. After a single to left field from Olivia Gott, leadoff hitter Allison Davis connected on a home run to center to make it a one-run ballgame.

Gandara pitched another hitless inning in the sixth. The Cavaliers closed out the game with a groundout and flyout in the final inning before Madison Labshere connected on a single to right field. Gandara thwarted the Cavalier comeback-effort with a strikeout to end the game and give CSU its first home win of the season.

Game Two: Charleston Southern 4, ETSU 2

McPherson recorded her second home run of the day and Clark pitched five hitless innings as CSU topped ETSU, 4-2, in the battle between the Buccaneers Friday afternoon.

Tiffany Laughren opened the game with a shot back to Clark for the base hit. After advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt from Kelsey Chernak, Laughren was left stranded as DeLio got the Bucs' second out and Clark closed the inning with a strike out.

CSU got its first run across in the second as McPherson opened the bottom of the inning with a solo home run off the first pitch for her second homer over center field on the day and her third home run this season. The Bucs added three more runs in the third inning with an Emberson single, a McPherson double, a single from DeLio and a sacrifice fly from Stephanie Bergmann.

After opening the game with a hit from its leadoff batter, ETSU was held hitless through the next five innings as Clark led the Bucs in the circle with five total strikeouts. ETSU started a last chance comeback rally in the final inning with a double from Cassi Pickett that Taylor Carter followed with a single to shortstop. Mykeah Johnson knocked a run in with a double to right center, and Taylor Wright added another with a sacrifice fly to right field. The comeback effort proved too little, too late as Bergmann fielded a grounder to close out the game for CSU's second win of the day.

The Buccaneers now turn their attention to Saturday for day two of the Buccaneer Invitational as they face off with ETSU again and take on UNC Wilmington later in the afternoon. First pitch between CSU and ETSU is set for 1:00 p.m.