RADFORD, Va. – Charleston Southern softball concluded its weekend series at Radford Saturday with a doubleheader split, earning a come-from-behind triumph in the opener before dropping the second game in the Big South clashes. The Buccaneers picked up an 8-5 win to begin the day and again held RU to five runs in the finale but were unable to bring home more than that themselves in the 5-4 setback.

GAME 1 | CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 8, RADFORD 5
Charleston Southern stormed back to take the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader with seven of its eight runs over the final-three frames, overcoming a four-run deficit. After the Highlanders pulled ahead 5-1 with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, the Bucs refused to quit as they used a pair of pitching change in the circle to their advantage.

After that aforementioned fourth inning, head coach Christi Musser turned to Baylee Eaton for CSU. She came in and promptly held Radford (15-27, 8-15 Big South) to just one hit over the final-three stanzas, striking out four of the 11 batters she faced to pick up the victory in the circle.

Conversely, the Highlanders handed the ball to Emily Spingarn in the sixth in relief of starter Skyler DeHart but Charleston Southern (22-25, 8-12 Big South) turned it into an offensive onslaught, tallying four runs, three earned, on three hits and mixing in a hit-by-pitch. RU went back to DeHart after only the four batters but the momentum had already shifted to the Bucs' favor.

Charleston Southern's rally began in the top of the fifth when Raleigh Lewis singled to left. SeaEnna Satcher followed with a fielder's choice before Madison Koger belted her team-leading seventh home run of the campaign to deep center, plating two runs to close the gap to 5-3.

The pitching change to Spingarn marked the time for the Buccaneers to pounce. Weslin Jones opened the sixth with a double and moved to third on an Ashlyn Cribb single. The bases then were loaded when Taylor Gleason was plunked. Ashley Meckley ripped a double into the left-field corner, bringing home the two lead runners to level the score at 5-5 and putting herself and Gleason in scoring position.

Radford went back to DeHart in an effort to slow the CSU offense but Lewis had other ideas. She dropped a single into right field, which skirted behind the fielder and rolled to the wall. The misplay allowed Lewis to hustle over to third, clearing the bases as Gleason and Meckley both scored for the go-ahead runs still with just one out.

Charleston Southern tacked on an insurance run in its final turn at-bat with Gracie Prince leading off the seventh with a solo home run over the left-field fence to provide the winning margin.

All of this happened after both teams scored initially in the first inning. Meckley was the early engine for the CSU offense, leading the game off with a single then stealing second base. She advanced to third on a line out to the outfield then came home on Lewis' single.

The Highlanders answered in their home half of the first frame. Cori McMillan led off with a walk and moved to second then third on a sacrifice bunt. She finished her trip around the base paths on a Rachel Smith single.

Radford then tallied four runs in the bottom of the fourth. McMillan again was in the mix, reaching on a fielder's choice and working her way into scoring position as Abby Wilson grounded out to Meckley at shortstop. Smith again yielded the big bat, doubling to left center, allowing McMillan to come in to score. A Cassi Barbato single put runners on the corners for Jordan Moss, who lifted a three-run homer down over the left-field fence to open the sizeable edge.

Lewis had a big game at the plate, finishing 4-of-4 with two RBI. Meckley was 2-of-4, driving in two runs and scoring two of her own. Koger had her second-straight multi-hit game in the series, also finishing 2-of-4. Eight of the nine batters in the starting lineup registered at least one hit as the Bucs pounded the Highlanders' hurlers for a baker's dozen.

GAME 2 | RADFORD 5, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 4
Just as Charleston Southern had done in the first game, it was Radford's turn to create late-inning buzz in the second to pick up the series win on its home field.

The Buccaneers again used hot bats early to take the 1-0 lead in the first. Meckley led off the game by being hit by a pitch and the moved to second on a Lilly Bishop sacrifice bunt. Lewis continued her scorching day with a single up the middle, bringing Meckley all the way around to score from 120 feet away for the 1-0 edge.

The lead held up briefly before the Highlanders countered in the bottom of the frame. McMillan doubled to open the inning and then raced all the way home as a Wilson infield single escaped the play on a throwing error, evening the score at 1-1.

It remained that way until the Charleston Southern (22-26, 8-13 Big South) bats started to warm up again in the third inning. Meckley again was the leadoff hitter, singling down the left-field line. She used a Lewis infield single by Lewis to hustle her way over to the opposite corner. Rhiana Hubbard entered as a pinch runner for Lewis and promptly stole second base, putting both runners in scoring position. Satcher followed two batters later with a single that worked its way through the middle of the infield, past several Radford (16-27, 9-15 Big South) defenders and both Meckley and Hubbard touched the plate to grow the cushion to 3-1 with two outs.

The margin then swelled to 4-1 in the top of the sixth as Prince went back up the middle for a single from her leadoff at-bat. Cribb then dropped in a double just inside the left-field line, moving Prince to third in the process and still with just one out. Gleason ripped a single into the outfield, easily scoring Prince to add to the CSU advantage.

It was in the bottom of the sixth in which the Highlanders started to mount their comeback. Barbato opened the frame with a double but she was forced out tying to advance to third when Moss reached on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat. With just Moss on base, Hannah Poole was issued a walk and then both runners moved up 60 feet on a Lindsay Hunter single. With only the force out of Barbato still on the board, Breidt singled and each baserunner moved up one spot, plating Moss to close the gap to 4-2.

Marvin followed with a single to right field, bringing home Poole and Kyndall Stanley, who had entered as a pinch runner for Hunter, to make it a tied game once again at 4-4. The Bucs then went back to their bullpen, inserting game-one shutdown artist Eaton in the circle and she retired the next two batters in quick succession.

After Charleston Southern was retired in order in the top of the seventh, it was looking to do the same in the bottom half to force extra innings. After a leadoff walk to Smith, Eaton struck out the next-two batters, Barbato and Moss. Poole then doubled into the right-center gap, and as the ball reached the fence, Smith sprinted all the way home from first for the game-winning run.

Lewis continued her strong day with 2-of-3 at the plate, the only Buccaneers player with multiple hits in the second game. Satcher had two of the team's four RBI, while Meckley crossed home plate two times.

Annah Junge struck out five Radford hitters in her 5.1 innings in the circle before being lifted for Eaton over the last 1.1 innings.

UP NEXT
Charleston Southern returns to the Holy City to close out the home schedule in a rescheduled matchup with league opponent North Carolina A&T. The two programs will meet in a doubleheader starting at Noon Wednesday at the CSU Softball Complex.