CONWAY, S.C. – Charleston Southern scored three runs in the top of the seventh, forcing extra frames of game one, but an eighth-inning run gave host Coastal Carolina the 5-4 win. The Chanticleers then carried the momentum over into the second game to claim a 10-1 five-inning victory to complete the doubleheader sweep.

GAME 1 | COASTAL CAROLINA 5, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 4 (8 INNINGS)
The Buccaneers took the early advantage after neither team scratched across a run in the first-two frames. Third baseman Lexi Markle, last week's Big South Freshman of the Week, continued to yield a hot bat as of late, leading off the third inning with a solo home run to left center, her third long ball of the season. CCU managed to not allow another base runner to quell any further Charleston Southern (9-13) threat.

Coastal Carolina countered with two runs in each of the next two innings, starting with a Makiya Thomas leadoff walk. She moved to second as Abby Montoya followed by being hit by a Maggie Carpenter pitch. Those two each stole a base and then Thomas touched home for the tying run on an error by the Bucs. Riley Zana then plated Montoya on a single, putting the Chanticleers in front 2-1 heading to the fourth.

Jay Wrightsman started the Coastal Carolina (11-11) half of the fourth inning with a double to left and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Payton Ebersole cleared the bases with a home run over the left-field fence, extending the home side's lead to 4-1 just past the midway point.

Neither side generated much offense until the Buccaneers bats started to warm up once again in the top of the seventh off starter Kaitlin Beasley-Polko. Weslin Jones reached on a leadoff walk but was retired to second on a fielder's choice off the bat of Raleigh Lewis. Blake Holtorf then entered as a pinch runner and she moved all the way to third on a SeaEnna Satcher single down the left-field line, putting runners on the corners. Ashlyn Cribb then pinch ran for Satcher and three pitches later, Madison Kogar belted a three-run home run, her team-lead tying fourth of the season, to bring Charleston Southern even once again, 4-4.

Reliever Baylee Eaton allowed one base runner in the bottom of the seventh but no further damage was done as the game went to extra innings. The CSU offense was unable to muster any threat and Keirstin Roose ended the contest with a solo home run to center as the first batter Eaton faced.

The four Bucs hits were scattered among four different players – Ashley Meckley, Satcher, Koger and Markle, while Jones reached on the only walk surrendered by the Chanticleers' pitching staff. Carpenter went four full innings in the circle before giving way to Eaton for the final three.

GAME 2 | COASTAL CAROLINA 10, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 1 (5 INNINGS)
The quick turnaround did not slow down the home bats for game two, as CCU claimed the initial lead, one it would not surrender, by taking a 4-0 advantage after the third. Thomas led off the frame with a double and moved to within 60 feet of home plate on a sacrifice bunt before trotting home for the game's first tally on a Zana single to right field. Roose singled in the next at-bat, advancing Zana to second. With those two runners on base, Maddy Jennings homered to center field, widening the gap to 4-0.

Charleston Southern (9-14) tried to get its offense going in the top of the fourth, as Lewis was the first to reach base following a fielding error by the Chanticleers defense. After Taylor Gleason came in as a pinch runner, she moved to third on a double to left by Gracie Prince and still zero outs. Koger ripped a single to center, bringing Gleason home and moving Prince to third. The two runners on the corners were left stranded after back-to-back outs to end the frame but the Bucs were able to break up the shutout attempt.

Offense continued to not be an issue for Coastal Carolina (12-11), as it added four more runs in the home half of the fourth off reliever Holtorf. The freshman was able to retire the first-two CCU batters but Thomas started the two-out spark with a single up the middle. Montoya followed with a single of her own, advancing to second and moving Thomas to third on a throw back to the infield. Zana then drilled a home run to left field, padding the Chanticleers' lead to 7-1. Roose then went back-to-back over the wall, widening the deficit to 8-1 through four frames.

The Buccaneers were retired in order in the fifth. With Annah Junge taking the ball in the circle for CSU, she got a strike out swinging to begin the inning. Shae Schreckengost then singled to left with Da'Vidria Robinson lifting her as a pinch runner. Following a Kennedy Ellis strikeout to get to two outs, Payton Ebersole ended the contest with a walk-off home run to center field.

Koger, Markle and Prince managed the three Bucs hits as Meckley saw her hit streak end at seven. Eaton started in the circle, tossing three complete innings before Holtorf pitched one and Junge the final 0.2.

UP NEXT
Charleston Southern returns to the CSU Softball Complex for a weekend series against Big South opponent Longwood. It will be the second-straight three-game set against a league foe at the home facility to begin conference play for the Buccaneers.