LYNCHBURG, Va. – Charleston Southern softball suffered a pair of setbacks to George Washington Saturday in the final games for both teams at the Liberty Softball Classic in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Colonials topped the Buccaneers by 8-2 and 4-2 scores.

GAME 1 | GEORGE WASHINGTON 8, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 2
The Bucs bats were quiet until two late-inning home runs broke up the shutout, as Charleston Southern (5-7) managed just three total hits in the game against hurler Sierra Lange who went the distance for the Atlantic 10 squad.

Ashley Meckley's third inning bunt was the first hit of the contest for CSU but she was retired on a double-play liner from Weslin Jones failed to capitalize on the base runner. The bats started to warm in the bottom half of the fifth, as Madison Koger led off the inning with a solo shot to left, breaking up Lange's shutout bid. It was another solo blast – this time off Raleigh Lewis' bat – to begin the seventh that led to the final Buccaneers' run.

George Washington (4-7) rode the strong arm of Lange, who struck out seven and only allowed two walks in the complete game effort. Baylee Eaton took the loss for CSU in the circle, while Lewis and Gracie Prince drew the walks to reach base.

GAME 2 | GEORGE WASHINGTON 4, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 2
In the second half of the doubleheader, it was Charleston Southern (5-8) who claimed the early lead. Meckley opened the game with a lead-off double down the third-base line before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Weslin Jones in the next at-bat. With her just 60 feet away, Lewis' ground out to the opposite corner allowed Meckley to sprint home for the 1-0 lead.

The Colonials answered in the home half, as Alessandra Ponce doubled home Alexa Williams, who had a two-out single up the middle for GW's first hit of the contest. George Washington (5-7) then added another run in the next inning. Hannah Eslick started the bottom half of the inning with a single and advanced to third two batters later on a Maddy Dwyer single, putting runners on the corners. Taylor Puig then plated Eslick on a sacrifice fly to center, giving the Colonials the 2-1 advantage heading to the third.

The Buccaneers, however, did not let the deficit deter them, as just two batters into the away-half of the third, Ashley Meckley belted her first home run of the season, sending it over the wall in left, knotting the scoring once again at 2-2.

Annah Junge continued to work her magic in the circle until the George Washington bats got going once again in the bottom of the fifth. Greco reached on a bad throw to start the offense and she advanced a base two batters later on a Williams fielder's choice. Ponce doubled down the left-field line, bringing home. Greco and moving Williams to third. The next batter, Mia Parker, hit into a ground out at third base, but it was enough to plate Williams for the game's final run, which doubled the Colonials' cushion to 4-2 with two innings left.

Charleston Southern was unable to muster a hit over the final two frames, sent down in order both times, and GW finished off the doubleheader sweep.

Annah Junge was credited with the loss after giving up the two early runs through just two innings of work before Blake Holtorf came on in relief to toss the final-four innings, surrendering the other two runs and allowing just two hits among the 17 batters she faced.

Lange again was in the circle for the Colonials, tossing another complete game with six strikeouts and facing only three over the minimum.

Meckley had a 2-of-3 showing at the plate, scoring both of the Bucs runs, including the home run in the top of the third. Junge tallied the only other hit for CSU, a second inning single.

UP NEXT
Charleston Southern will return to the Palmetto State for its next-13 games, a stretch that begins on the road at South Carolina with a Wednesday doubleheader in Columbia. The contests with the Gamecocks begin at 5 p.m. and both games will be carried live on SEC Network+.