ROCK HILL, S.C. – The No. 4 Charleston Southern softball team rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning, but the comeback attempt fell just short, as the No. 2 Longwood Lancers defeated the Buccaneers 7-5 in the first elimination game of the Big South Tournament.

The Bucs (23-27, 9-11 in conference) were down 7-2 entering the last inning, when Emma Villaescusa led off with a double. Next, in her final collegiate at bat, Kendal Cook laced an RBI single past the shortstop. A few batters later, BriAnna Brooks walked to load the bases, and Charlee Yourman was hit by a pitch to make it 7-4.

A walk to Lacy Johnson made it 7-5, loaded the bases and put the tying run in scoring position. After that, Longwood (19-32, 12-7 in conference) put their starting pitcher, Cierra Gawryluk, back in the game, and she forced the Buccaneers to pop the ball up to the shortstop to end the game.

Charleston Southern jumped on Longwood in the top of the first inning with a leadoff solo home run by Madelyne Lee. It was her first home run of the season. The Lancers tied it in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single and a throwing error.Longwood took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the third and two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Carsten Sandvig hit her second home run of the season and first since the second weekend of the season. It was the sixth home run for the Bucs this season. The game was halted in the top of the sixth inning with a weather delay that lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes.

Including the Big South Tournament, the Buccaneers finished the 2024 season with a 23-27 (9-11 in conference) record. The season had many highs such as five players being named to an All-Big South team, Annah Junge winning Big South Scholar Athlete of the Year and Nealy Lamb's historical season.