FARMVILLE, Va. – Charleston Southern softball dropped both of its games Thursday, falling to USC Upstate and Presbyterian, ending the Buccaneers' campaign and the second under head coach Christi Musser. The Bucs lost in Thursday's first contest 3-0 to the Spartans before a 10-4 setback to the Blue Hose in the second clash between the two programs of the Big South Championships, which are being held in Farmville, Virginia.

GAME 1 | USC UPSTATE 3, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 0
A low-scoring battle between the No. 5-seed Buccaneers and No. 1-seed and regular-season champion USC Upstate ensued after the Spartans scored their only runs in the first inning against starter Annah Junge, the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Charleston Southern (27-27) put two base runners on in the first, as All-Big South Second Team member Ashley Meckley drew a leadoff walk and SeaEnna Satcher singled to right field, moving Meckley to third on the play. Satcher then stole second base, her only stolen base of the season, but the two runners in scoring position were left stranded.

In the bottom of the first, the Spartans jumped out in front and never looked back. Celeste Delorenzo ripped a one-out single up the middle and then advanced to second on a ground out. Summer Johnson joined her following a catcher's interference call and Peyton Darnell loaded the bases after reaching on an error. A second-straight fielding error by a CSU infielder plated two runners, with Delorenzo and Johnson touching home. Caroline Jacquay had entered as a pinch runner for Darnell and she moved to third on the play off the bat of Casey Goguts. USC Upstate (48-8) then pulled off a double steal, bringing Jacquay home for the final scoring of the contest and still in the bottom of the first.

Junge settled in, allowing just two singles over the next-four frames while the Buccaneers offense had its own chances. The best of those opportunities came in the top of the sixth when Meckley again was issued a leadoff base on balls. She moved to second on a fielding error on a bunt by Lilly Bishop. Junge was inserted as a pinch runner for Bishop. Satcher reached on a fielder's choice, putting Junge on third, but Meckley was caught up between third and home plate and forced out leaving her short of breaking up the shutout for the inning's second out.

Meckley and Satcher had the only two Charleston Southern hits, while Meckley also reached base on those two walks. Weslin Jones also was a base runner with a walk.

Junge went the distance in the loss, permitting just three hits and the three runs, all unearned, while also striking out a trio of Spartans. She faced just 24 batters.

GAME 2 | PRESBYTERIAN 10, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 4
In a must-win situation for the Bucs to keep their season alive, it appeared early they would do just that as they struck first with two runs in the top of the first. A leadoff double by Meckley rolled into the left-field corner and Bishop hit one of her own two pitches later, going to the opposite field, to bring in Meckley for the game's first run. The offense kept running by behind a Satcher single up the middle, putting runners on the corners, and Gracie Prince reached on a fielding error. Both runners moved up a base on the play with Bishop crossing the dish to widen the CSU margin to 2-0. Satcher and Prince advanced one more base before the inning was over on a wild pitch but they were left stranded.

Presbyterian (36-14) countered right away as Layna Johnson led off with a walk. Kaitlyn Tucker then reached on an error and both runners advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt. Another sacrifice, this time a deep fly to center field, brought home Johnson and moved Tucker to third. Morgan Hess then launched a two-run home run on the first pitch she saw from Blake Holtorf, giving the Blue Hose the 3-2 advantage after the first inning.

PC continued to find its offensive spark in the second frame. Kelby Goodrum doubled with one out and then scored on a Johnson double two batters later. Tucker singled and worked her way over to second on the play, pushing Johnson all the way around to score. Lath Freeman then slugged a homer over the left field fence, growing the deficit to 7-2 and chasing Holtorf from the circle with Maggie Carpenter coming in as a reliever. Jillian Hewes walked and then scored when Hess hit the Blue Hose's third double of the inning, building an 8-2 lead.

Charleston Southern (27-28) scored one run in each of the next-two frames in its attempt to rally. In the third, Raleigh Lewis earned a share of the team lead with seven home runs on the season, sending a shot over the right-center wall. In the fourth, the Buccaneers scratched across its run the old-fashioned way. Meckley walked (again!) and stole second base, putting herself in scoring position. Bishop then was hit by a pitch and both runners advanced 60 feet on an infield single off the bat of Lewis. Hess, who had entered the circle in place of starter Haley Haselden prior to Lewis' at-bat, plunked Satcher for the RBI and keeping the bases jammed. However, CSU was unable to do any further damage and found itself down 8-4 through four innings.

Presbyterian extended its lead in the sixth. Hewes singled to right field with two outs and then Hess clubbed a home run to left center, plating the game's final-two runs in the season finale.

Eight different Bucs had at least one hit with Lewis owning the only multi-hit contest. Meckley and Ashlyn Cribb were issued walks with Bishop and Satcher being hit by pitches.

Holtorf was credited with the loss, giving up seven runs (five earned) in just 1.2 innings. Carpenter was in the circle for 1.1 innings before Musser turned to Junge for the final 3.0 frames.

SEASON COMPLETE
The Buccaneers put a stamp on the 2022 season with the setback. Charleston Southern's 27 victories are its most since also having that many in 2014. Six players wrapped up their playing careers this spring. Bishop, Erika Cooper, Baylee Eaton, Taylor Gleason, Madison Koger and Satcher all wore the blue and gold for the final time Thursday.