CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Charleston Southern softball team began a stretch of six-straight home games on Wednesday evening, falling to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers by an 8-1 score at CSU Softball Field.
 
Coastal Carolina (21-4) jumped on the Buccaneers (9-10) early with three runs in the first inning with two doubles. They made it 3-0 on an RBI single with two outs, but a throw from the outfield by Weslin Jones retired a Chanticleer baserunner trying to stretch the single into a double.
 
Riley Lauffer allowed just one hit in innings two, three and four before the Chanticleers came back with three more runs in the fifth inning to make it 6-0. Lauffer suffered the defeat to fall to 4-3 on the season. She allowed six runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Mackenzie Rutkoff retired the final two batters in the inning.
 
Chanticleers starter Abby Henderson was perfect through 4.1 innings until a single from Jordyn Dimond broke the hitless streak for the Buccaneers. After the Chanticleers made it 8-0 in the top of the sixth, the Buccaneers got on the board, as a Blakley Kingsmore single allowed Harper Schoeneweis to reach third base. After Carsten Sandvig walked, Emma Villaescusa reached first base on a fielder's choice that scored Schoeneweis.
 
Rutkoff threw 2.2 innings of relief for the Buccaneers, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three.
 
On Deck
The Buccaneers will stay at home this weekend, as they will host their final non-conference tournament of the season, as Fairfield and UNC Greensboro will participate in the CSU Round Robin.
 
Charleston Southern will play five games on Friday through Sunday beginning with two on Friday against UNC Greensboro at 3:00 PM and Fairfield 30 minutes after the conclusion of the UNC Greensboro matchup. Friday and Saturday's matchups will be featured on ESPN+.