CHARLESTON, S.C. – It was a tale of two games for the Charleston Southern softball squad Saturday, as it split a home Big South doubleheader with Longwood at CSU Softball Complex. The Buccaneers claimed the opening contest 2-0 before dropping a 4-3 decision in 10 innings in the second matchup of the day.

GAME 1 | CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 2, LONGWOOD 0
In a pitcher's dual with each starter going the distance, it was one swing of the bat that proved to be the difference as the Bucs third shutout of the spring to support the arm of Annah Junge. Junge was back in the circle, facing just six batters over the minimum on her way to striking out five and walking just one in the 7.0 innings of work to pick up her seventh victory this season.

Charleston Southern (10-14, 2-2 Big South) looked like it would get its offense going early as Ashley Meckley led off with a single, advancing all the way around to third on a pair of passed balls, but the rest of the lineup was unable to bring her the remaining 60 feet.

The Lancers threatened with their first base runner in the top half of the second. Sydney Guess singled to right and advanced to third following a CSU fielding error. She was then picked off on a Gracie Prince-Meckley-Prince combination at home plate, ending the inning with still no score.

Neither team generated much other offense until the home half of the third, as Meckley again was the first Bucs player to reach, this time on an error. A sacrifice bunt by Weslin Jones moved Meckley into scoring position before she swiped a stolen base of third to further her chances of scoring with two outs. Raleigh Lewis then belted a home run to center, plating both runners, and providing the only scoring of the game.

Junge responded by not leaving any Longwood (7-16, 1-3 Big South) on base until the fifth when Emily Vinson reached second with zero outs but the next three batters were sent down in order. Junge worked out of another on-base situation in the top of the sixth, as a two-out triple put Jaden Pone on third. Junge then induced a fly-out to left, keeping the visitors off the board once again.

In the seventh, Longwood loaded the bases as Kelly Park walked, Guess and Kayley Devivi both singled with one out. However, Mason Basdikis was called out on the infield fly rule and Lauren Fox was struck out looking to end the game.

Meckley finished the contest 2-of-3 at the plate, while Lewis' home run was the only other hit for the Buccaneers against Sydney Backstrom.

GAME 2 | LONGWOOD 4, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 3 (10 INNINGS)
The longest game of the season for the Bucs, and since an 11-inning triumph against Radford exactly one year earlier – March 19, 2021 – was a back-and-forth battle with neither side surrendering until the final out.

Once again, it was Charleston Southern (10-15, 2-3 Big South) that put the offensive wheels in mostion first, starting with a leadoff walk by Meckley. Weslin Jones then ripped the first triple of her career into the right-field corner off starter Er'ron Burton, bringing Meckley all the way in for the 1-0 lead with zero outs. Two batters later, Prince followed with an extra-base hit of her own, a double to the right-field gap, and Jones easily trotted home to double the advantage to 2-0 by the end of the first.

The Lancers were unable get going offensively themselves until the top of the fifth. Sydney Jacobsen led off by reaching on an error and then scoring as Lauren Taylor smacked a two-run home run to left, tying the game at 2-2.

The Buccaneers reclaimed the upper-hand in the home half of the fifth, starting with an Erika Cooper leadoff double. A Meckley comebacker to the first baseman moved Cooper to 60 feet away, from where she eventually scored thanks to a Jones infield grounder for a 3-2 edge.

In the top of the sixth, Longwood (8-16, 2-3 Big South) showed no quit. Alexis Wayland launched a home run to center, once again pulling the visitors even, before CSU starter Blake Holtorf settled in for the final-two outs of the frame.

Through the seventh, neither side threatened offensively as Holtorf was lifted by Baylee Eaton in the circle. Eaton walked Guess but it was the lone base runner in the full eighth inning. In the ninth, Jacobsen doubled for the Lancers but back-to-back fly outs ended any further chance.

Longwood then took advantage of the international runner rule beginning in the top of the 10th. Taylor was placed on second. She advanced to third on a Madison Blair deep fly to center and then scored as Guess singled to center field. After Basdikis singled down the right-field line to put runners on the corners, Eaton struck out Wayland looking and it was 4-3 Lancers heading to the bottom of the 10th.

Madison Koger was that international runner for the Buccaneers. Two Charleston Southern players were on base, following an Ashlyn Cribb walk, when Cooper reached on a fielder's choice as the Longwood defense got the force out of Koger, the lead runner, at third, for the second out. CSU was unable to bring either of its two remaining base runners to end the game.

Holtorf and Eaton both struck out two batters while scattering seven combined hits over the 10 innings in the circle. Jones, Prince, Lexi Markle and Cooper were credited with a hit each for the Bucs offense.

UP NEXT
The rubber match – a second-straight in the Big South series this spring for Charleston Southern – awaits these two programs Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.