CHARLESTON – Charleston Southern clinched the series win over High Point on Saturday in the conference opening weekend. They won today's contest by a final score of 3-2 and clinches the fourth consecutive year that the Bucs have won their Big South opening weekend, each under Head Coach
Marc MacMillan.
The Panthers were able to get baserunners early, but the Buccaneers held strong to allow just one of them to score in the early going. They scored their first in the first off a double, but then stranded their next six people to reach base over the next four innings.
The Buccaneers brought the game even in the second inning as
Lucas Pringle had a leadoff home run to right field to bring it at one apiece.
In the fifth inning, Charleston Southern took the lead at 2-1.
Cade Conway got a leadoff single and then stole second.
Chandler Tuupo was then intentionally walked to put runners on first and second with two outs.
Dakota Miller had a single to score Conway and the inning ended as Tuupo was trying to score on the play.
High Point was able to level the game at two each in the top half of the seventh on a sacrifice fly. The Panthers were unable to do any other damage in the inning.
The tie ball game was short lived as
Cade Conway led off the Bucs' half of the inning and hit a solo home run to right field to retake the lead at 3-2.
The Panthers were unable to do more damage down the stretch as
Anthony Ramirez closed the door on their offense for those final two innings to seal the victory for Charleston Southern.
Parks Ledwell has the start on the mound for Charleston Southern today and went for 3.2 innings allowing just one run in the appearance.
Tyler Henshaw closed the door on the Panthers in the fourth recording an out on the one batter he faced when they were two runners on. Ramirez was the next one up and threw the final five innings for the Bucs. There was just one run that was scored, and it was unearned. He gave up just one hit and one walk during his time on the mound as well. He moves to 2-0 on the year.
Conway led the team in hitting with a pair of two as well as a pair of runs scored. Tuupo, Miller and Pringle each had a hit in the contest as well. Conway, Miller and Pringle each had one of the RBIs.
The teams will meet again for the series finale against High Point tomorrow on Sunday, March 17. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Nielsen Field @ CSU Ballpark with the Buccaneers seeking the series sweep over the Panthers.
