CHARLESTON, S.C. – A longer-than-expected afternoon shortened a planned doubleheader into a single game but the Charleston Southern softball team weathered the storm as well as adversity on the field, rallying for a walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh to top North Carolina A&T 4-3 at the CSU Softball Complex Wednesday afternoon. It marked the final time the Buccaneers will play on their home field this spring with the regular season winding down this weekend.

LENGTHY DELAY
The game was sailing along as normal until the Bucs' turn at-bat in the bottom of the seventh. With one pitch thrown to Ashlyn Cribb, the teams were sent off the field for a lightning delay which turned into a longer pause due to a heavy rain sweeping through the region. The delay ended up being an hour and 45 minutes by the time the field was reconditioned to get ready to play and teams were given enough time to warm up once again.

UPPERCLASSMEN COME THROUGH WITH WALK-OFF
On a day Charleston Southern (23-26, 9-13 Big South) was honoring its senior class throughout the afternoon, it was fitting a few players from that group played a factor in how the game was decided. Upon the return to action, Cribb was unable to create any offense for the first out. Erika Cooper then hit an infield single, becoming the first Bucs player on base. Ashley Meckley followed with a single to right, putting two runners on for Lilly Bishop, who loaded the bags with a single of her own right up the middle.

With the bases loaded, and still just one out, Raleigh Lewis grounded out to the second baseman who made the play at first but Cooper trotted home to tally the game winner, sending the CSU dugout into a frenzy for the team captain.

PLAYING CATCHUP
The walk-off capped an afternoon in which the Aggies claimed the early lead and keeping Charleston Southern at a distance offensively until the fourth inning. Jazzmaine Hammond led off the contest with a triple then came home on a Mariah Headen single in the next at-bat, giving North Carolina A&T (13-32, 3-19 Big South) the 1-0 lead.

The Aggies starter in the circle, Kayla Douglas, kept the Bucs' bats quiet through the first-three frames, sending them down in order 1-2-3 each time. In the top of the fourth, Icess Tresvik singled with two outs and then Jailyn Tineo brought her in with a single of her own as the next batter up, giving the visitors a 2-0 cushion.

Meckley ended the Buccaneers' lull with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth but CSU was unable to close the gap in the scoring column. In the fifth, Madison Koger drew a leadoff walk. Gracie Prince then belted her fifth home run of the campaign, a no-doubter over the left-center fence, to draw the Bucs even, 2-2. Weslin Jones nearly gave CSU the lead for the first time after hitting a single, advancing to second on a Douglas wild pitch and moving to third on a long flyout to right field but she was left stranded 60 feet away.

North Carolina A&T regained the upper-hand 3-2 in its next trip to the plate. Headen led off with what appeared to be an out back to the pitcher, Baylee Eaton, but Eaton's toss over to first got away and down into the right field corner. As Cooper raced over to dig it out of the corner, Headen never let up on the base paths and came all the way around to score.

It didn't take long for Charleston Southern to answer. Bishop led off the inning with a single and she was lifted for pinch runner Annah Junge. Junge moved to third on a SeaEnna Satcher double, putting both runners in scoring position and chasing Douglas from the circle. Headen stepped in from her second base spot and Koger immediately brought home Junge from third on a sacrifice fly, tying the score at 3-3 and helping to set up the bottom-of-the-seventh inning dramatics.

FINAL GAME FOR FIVE
It marked the final time at the CSU Softball Complex for Bishop, Satcher, Koger, Cooper and Eaton. Taylor Gleason is also a member of this class but she was unavailable to play Wednesday. All five had key roles in the triumph.

STARS OF THE DAY
Meckley and Bishop led the way with two hits, the only Buccaneers with multiple hits, while Prince's home run gave her a team-best two RBI.

Eaton struck out five Aggies during her 6.0 innings in the circle, scattering five hits. Blake Holtorf entered as a reliever in the seventh, giving up just one hit on her way to claiming the victory.

UP NEXT
Charleston Southern hits the road for its final regular-season series this weekend, traveling to Hampton, Virginia, to take on Hampton. The two teams will lock up in a Friday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday's single game will be a Noon first pitch.