ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Charleston Southern softball team battled back from a game-one loss and came away with two victories on Saturday, taking the three-game series on the road against the Winthrop Eagles.
The Buccaneers (14-17, 4-2 in conference) scored five runs in the final two innings in the first game of the doubleheader, winning 6-5 with two runs in the seventh inning.
Riley Lauffer went the distance in the rubber game with a five-hit, 7.0-inning shutout, as the Buccaneers took the series with a 9-0 win.
Game One
The Eagles (22-14, 5-3 in conference) seemed to take control of the game, as they had a 5-1 lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Buccaneers got the bats going.
After
Harper Schoeneweis started the sixth inning with a single, she reached third base on a double from
Payton Smith. With one out and runners at second and third,
Charlee Yourman brought in both runners with a two-run double. Two batters later,
Cadence Walding made it a one-run game with an RBI single to score
Linley Jones, who came in to pinch run for Yourman.
Emma Villaescusa tried to score from second base but was thrown out from the outfield to keep it a 5-4 game.
Carsten Sandvig led off the top of the seventh inning with a single the opposite way. Then, Schoeneweis tied the game with an RBI double and advanced to third on an error. She was able to score on an infield single by
Blakley Kingsmore.
Kinsey Clopton retired the Eagles in order in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the Buccaneer win. She allowed five runs (3 ER) and struck out four batters. She improved her record to 5-5 on the year.
Game Two
Riley Lauffer was flawless throughout, allowing just five hits in route to her complete-game shutout of her career. The Buccaneers bats caught fire in the fifth inning, as they exploded for six runs on five hits and one error by the Eagles.
Schoeneweis scored
Jordyn Dimond and Villaescusa to make it 2-0. Two batters later, with the bases loaded,
Payton Smith crushed her first-career home run over the fence, a grand slam to make it 6-0.
Charleston Southern scored three more in the top of the seventh inning capped off by a two-run double from Yourman.
The Buccaneers had 24 hits combined between the two games.
Payton Smith finished the day 4 for 8 with a grand slam and five RBI on the afternoon. Sandvig was also 4 for 8 on the afternoon with a double and two runs scored.
Charleston Southern is back at home for the next five games beginning with a mid-week doubleheader on Wednesday, April 2 against Queens. Game one begins at 3:00 PM.
