CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern softball dropped its first two installments of the 2022 campaign Friday night, falling to Toledo 18-5 in five innings in game one and 5-4 in the nightcap at CSU Softball Complex.

Charleston Southern (0-2) struck first in the first contest, as Ashley Meckley came around to score in the home-half of the opening frame. The two teams would trade runs in the third before Toledo (2-0) exploded for 11 runs in its half of the fourth. The inning started with several CSU miscues and the Rockets put together multiple successful at-bats to add to the outburst. The Bucs would get two more in the bottom of the frame before Toledo put it out of reach with six in the fifth.

Game two saw the Rockets claim the first lead of the affair with a three-spot in the opening frame. Charleston Southern got one back in the bottom of the first. The score would remain 3-1 until the fourth, as the Bucs would bring it to just a one-run game, but Toledo would answer right back in the fifth to make it 4-2. Madison Koger would tie it in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run shot to left, but again it was the Rockets who would score last. The run in the sixth proved to be the difference as Toledo earned the twinbill sweep. 

Blake Holtorf got the start in game two and went the distance in her first career collegiate start. The freshman was only charged for two of the five runs after nine hits and three strikeouts. Senior Raleigh Lewis had a strong day at the plate, going a combined 3-7 with a solo shot and three runs batted in.
 

Game 1 | Toledo 18, Charleston Southern 5

• Ashley Meckley's run in the opening frame stood as the only lead the Bucs would hold on the evening.
• Each of the 11 runs scored by Toledo in the fourth frame were unearned.
• Annah Junge lasted 3.2 innings in the circle for CSU, only being charged with one of the 10 total scores she surrendered.

Game 2 | Toledo 5, Charleston Southern 4

• Toledo laid claim to the first three runs of the nightcap, making the most of two CSU errors on back-to-back ground balls.
• Madison Koger's first bomb of the season tied things up at four in the fifth frame, as the middle infielder got all of a fastball middle-middle and didn't miss it.
• Freshman Blake Holtorf had a solid first-career start, but was charged with the loss after going the full seven.

Up Next
Charleston Southern and Toledo will see each other one more time Saturday, February 12 as part of the CSU Kickoff Tournament. The Bucs will also see North Carolina Wilmington tomorrow, while the Seahawks and Rockets will also play one another in a slate of three games at CSU Softball Complex. The action starts at 12:00 p.m. with North Carolina Wilmington and Toledo squaring off.