CHARLESTON, S.C. – Clutch hitting in the late innings, including a walk-off to close the first, and a pair of relief wins sparked the Charleston Southern softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Mercer Saturday at CSU Softball Complex. The Bucs earned the two triumphs 3-2 and 9-7 as the two sides met for the first time since 2011.

GAME 1 | CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 3, MERCER 2
It was a battle of home runs, as the two sides traded long balls after the Bears scored the first run. Neither team scratched one across in the first inning but in the top of the second, Grace Prom opened the frame with a double to right field. She then worked her way over to second as Kenlie Harvey laid down a sacrifice bunt. Tori Ash followed with a single to left, bringing Prom home to give Mercer (3-13) the 1-0 advantage.

Lilly Bishop opened the home half with a hit by pitch but she was retired when SeaEnna Satcher grounded into a double play. With the bases empty, Madison Koger drilled a home run over the right-center wall to level the scoring at 1-1.

After retiring the visitors in the top of the third, Lexi Markle led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to left center. The third baseman entered the day with just one hit in limited plate appearances on the season but doubled that total in her first at-bat. It would remain 2-1 CSU until the top of the sixth.

With starter Annah Junge still in the circle battling for Charleston Southern (6-10), Mercer had a chance to cycle through its lineup one last time. Prom tied the game again with a lead-off home run to right field. Junge struck out the next batter, Harvey, before Baylee Eaton came on in relief. Eaton induced an Annie Potter fly out on her first batter, nullifying any further threat.

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the seventh as Eaton sent the Bears down in order. Blake Holtorf led off the frame with an infield pop up but then Markle belted her second home run of the game – to the same spot as her previous one – in walk-off fashion, lifting the Bucs to victory.

Eaton earned her first win of the season, not allowing a base runner in her 1.2 innings of work and facing just four batters. Hannah Pitts went the distance for Mercer, taking the loss.

GAME 2 | CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 9, MERCER 7
The bats came more alive for both sides in the second half of the twin bill. The Bears, once again, jumped out in front with the first run of the contest. Rebeca Laudino roped a single to left center to lead off the game and then advanced to second on a Harvey sacrifice bunt. Adele Braun brought her home on a two-out double to left center.

Charleston Southern (7-10) countered with a two-out rally of its own in the bottom half of the first. Gracie Prince sparked the ignition with a single up the middle. Bishop followed with a single to left, putting two runners on base. Satcher then sent a bomb just inside the left-field foul pole, plating all three runs to give CSU the 3-1 edge.

It wasn't until the top half of the fourth when the runs began to show up again. Eaton again entered the circle for starter Holtorf to begin the frame, and after retiring the first-two Bears in order, she plunked Rachel Baker to put a runner on first. Alyssa Woods followed with a triple to the right-field wall, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The Buccaneers wasted no time answering in their half of the fourth. Ashlyn Cribb reached base on a walk and then moved around to third on a double by Taylor Gleason. Erika Cooper then entered as a pinch hitter and brought her two teammates home on a double to left center, growing the lead to 5-2. The momentum continued with back-to-back singles from Prince and Bishop, as Weslin Jones scored on Prince's base hit to make it 6-2. Prince and Bishop then moved up one base, to third and second, respectively, after a Riley Hickok wild pitch after she took over in the circle for starter Katie Rearley. A second-consecutive wild pitch brough Prince home for the final run of the inning, growing CSU's lead to 7-2 entering the fifth.

Mercer, however, did not go away quietly. Back-to-back home runs, both to right center, from Tori Hedgecock and Braun, made it a three-run difference, 7-4. Eaton then settled in, getting two outs in the next-three batters.

Charleston Southern was unable to plate any in its half but the Bears clawed their way back to tie things in their half of the sixth. Woods hit a hard single to third with one out and eventually moved to third on an infield fielding error by the Bucs. Harvey plated Woods with a single to center, which also allowed Laudino to advance to second after reaching on the error. Braun was the last batter of the inning, sending a single up the middle. But as she rounded the base, she got caught in a run-down situation. As she did, Laudino and Harvey both raced home for the tying runs before Braun was tagged, sending the game to the bottom of the sixth tied 7-7.

Ashley Meckley started the home sixth fame with an infield single and then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Jones drew a walk and both runners moved up one base after Prince grounded out back to the pitcher. Junge entered as a pinch hitter and singled to left, bringing Meckley home for the go-ahead score. Following another pitching change for the Bears, two batters later, a double steal allowed Jones to sprint home for the insurance run.

Eaton stayed strong in the circle through the top of the seventh, retiring the three Mercer (3-14) batters in order to seal the win. She picked up her second win of the day – and of the season – by completing the final-four innings, striking out two and scattering seven hits and six runs (three earned).

Hickock was saddled with the loss after the go-ahead run by Meckley was scored during her time in the circle.

Bishop was 3-of-3 at the plate, while Meckley, Prince and Gleason all had two hits in a 13-hit contest for Charleston Southern.

UP NEXT
The Buccaneers and Bears will put the stamp on the three-game series with a single contest Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the CSU Softball Complex.