The Presbyterian College softball team opened with a 2-1 win against Charleston Southern but fell 7-2 in the second to split a Big South Conference doubleheader this afternoon in North Charleston, S.C.
Presbyterian College fell to 17-7-1 and 4-2 in the Big South, while Charleston Southern improved to 14-20 and 1-1 with the win in the second game.
PC's Tera Powell (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) opened game one with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Staten (Belvedere, S.C.). Powell scored the next play on a throwing error by the CSU shortstop. Codee Yeske (Lexington, S.C.) then singled to left for her 12th RBI of the season as she drove in Morgan Durham, who had reached on a walk earlier, for the eventual game-winner.
Leslie Hensley went the distance, scattering two hits, both coming in the fifth inning after Jana Matthews led off the inning for CSU with a double and came home off a triple by Hayes Holdsworth. Those would be it as Hensley picked up her 11th win of the season to go to 11-3 and PC took the 2-1 win.
PC held the 5-2 advantage in hits, with Morgan Dowdy taking the loss for CSU, despite striking out six.
Powell scored the first run for the Blue Hose in the second game as well, singling to left field to open the first inning and then coming across the plate on a wild pitch after advancing to third on a balk and a sacrifice bunt by Staten.
Charleston Southern responded with six runs in the second and third innings to take a 6-1 lead heading into the fourth. In the second inning the Bucs loaded the bases and three runs came home after the Blue Hose walked three straight batters. The third inning saw CSU put runners on second and third before a three-run home run by Megan Lombard gave the Bucs the five-run lead.
Presbyterian College scored again in the top of the fourth after Yeske came home off a pop up by Rachel Hopper (Simpsonville, S.C.).
The Bucs would score another run in the bottom of the fourth and take the eventual 7-2 win.
PC out-hit the Bucs 6-5, but stranded six runners in the loss. Charleston Southern stranded 11 after putting 15 runners on base off walks.
Brittany Howell (Concrete, Wash.) pitched 2.0 innings and gave up seven runs (six earned) off three hits for her fourth loss of the season (6-4). Kimberly Hobbs notched 11 strikeouts for Charleston, pitching a complete game for the win (9-7)
The Bucs and Blue Hose square off in the third and final game of the series at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2.
