CHARLESTON – Charleston Southern punched their ticket to the Big South Championships with their win to begin Saturday. Prior to the resumption of that delayed game from Friday, the Buccaneers honored their 16 senior student-athletes with a pregame ceremony. They won that game 21-5 and dropped the series finale 6-4 with their ninth inning rally falling short.
In the second game of the series, the Buccaneers tallied 21 runs in just seven innings. The run total is the most Charleston Southern has had in a single game since 2009 and is tied for the fourth-most in program history.
GAME TWO (First of Saturday)
On Friday, the Charleston Southern offense got out to a fast lead using a
Kaden Smith solo home run in the first to open the scoring.
Nathan Martinez had an RBI double and
Blake Edgmon had a sacrifice bunt in the second to push the scoreline to 3-0. In the third, UNC Asheville got their first of the day with an RBI single up the middle.
After this, Charleston Southern went on to tally 11 unanswered runs.
AJ Martin had a solo home run in the third which was followed by the Bucs putting up a ten-spot in the fourth. This was the first of two times that they batted around the order in the game. The first three runs were scored off bases loaded walks followed by a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. A double by
Lucas Pringle scored a pair with this being the only hit for RBIs of the inning. Charleston Southern went on to score more off walks, hit by pitches, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to push the score to 14-1 at the end of the frame.
In the fifth, UNC Asheville got a pair of runs back in the fifth off a two RBI double.
Aidan McAskie sent a two-run home run over the fence in right center in the bottom half of the inning. UNC Asheville then had an RBI single in the sixth prior to the game being sent into a lightning delay on Friday night that was unable to be resumed until Saturday at 5 p.m.
After the restart and once they reached the Charleston Southern half of the inning, they went on to push the game even further out of hand for the Bulldogs. They tallied five runs in it with McAskie having a double to score three runs to start off the inning off.
Lucas Pringle then scored another off a fielding error by the second baseman. They then got their last one off
Blake Edgmon drawing a bases loaded walk for their twenty-first of the game. The Bulldogs capped off the night with a solo home run in the seventh, but was not enough to have the game avoid the run rule for the game to end at 21-5.
Charleston Southern had
Parks Ledwell get the starting nod. He threw the first 4.0 innings allowing just one earned run to go with three hits and a walk.
Tyler Henshaw earned the win to move to 7-1 on the year tossing the fifth.
Christian Krause threw the final 2.0 frames allowing a run to score.
Aidan McAskie had a career day at the plate finishing the contest with seven RBIs. He scored four times and went 3-3 at the plate while drawing a walk and a hit by pitch as well. Smith and Edgmon each had three while Martin and Pringle both had two. Pringle, Martinez and Bogdanchik each had two hits on the day. As a team they finished with 12 hits, 11 walks and three hit by pitches.
GAME THREE (Second of Saturday)
UNC Asheville were the first to get on the board in the game scoring in the top of the first. Logan Lowe reached second on a throwing error by the shortstop to get in scoring position and was driven home on an RBI double by Rylen Stockton.
In the fourth, Charleston Southern tallied their first of the day. McAskie led the inning off with a four pitch walk and Pringle followed him with a hit by pitch. The bases got loaded up after a Martinez fielder's choice and a
Lew Rice walk. On a wild pitch, Pringle was able to scurry down the line and touch home plate to score the run.
In the fifth, the Bulldogs led the inning off with a double and moved to third as Corbin Lanowitz reached first on an error. They tallied their first on a sacrifice bunt by Lowe. Lanowitz moved to third on a groundout and was able to score on an RBI single by Patrick Gillen to push the scoreline to 3-1.
In the ninth, Charleston Southern was able to piece together some late offense, tallying three runs to bring the score to 6-4. Collins had an infield single and was driven home on a triple off the wall by Tuupo. He scored off a Martin single to left field and moved up a bag as McAskie drew a walk. Martin scored on a Pringle single through the right side. The Bucs were unable to get anyone else on the basepaths with the final two batters getting retired.
Tait Robetson had the start for the Bucs and threw the first 4.0 innings. He allowed five hits and two unearned runs in his time on the mound.
Ryan DuSang was the next out throwing for 3.0 frames. He allowed one hit and an unearned run.
At the plate, Tuupo, Martin and Pringle each had an RBI. Tuupo had a team-high two hits with Martin, Pringle and Collins each adding one. McAskie capped off an incredible weekend at the plate by drawing a trio of walks after reaching on every plate appearance in the first two games of the series.
Charleston Southern will be back in action for the home finale on Tuesday as they will host The Citadel. The first pitch for it is set for 5 p.m. with the game to be available live on ESPN+. The Buccaneers will then head to Boiling Springs, N.C. to take on the Runnin' Bulldogs in the regular season finale from Thursday, May 15 through Saturday, May 17.
