Charleston Southern University’s softball team opened the Cici’s Pizza Lowcountry Classic on Friday with mixed results. The Buccaneers secured a decisive 8-0 win over Sacred Heart in five innings but later lost to UCONN 13-0, also in five innings.
In the first game, Charleston Southern took control in the third inning when Carsten Sandvig doubled, allowing Blakley Kingsmore to score. Emma Smith followed with a single that brought Sandvig home. Linley Jones entered as a pinch runner for Smith and stole her first base of the season before Camryn Martin singled. Lorenzza Marcacci hit a sacrifice RBI, scoring Jones and giving the Bucs a 3-0 lead at the end of the third.
The Bucs continued their offensive push in the fourth inning. Kingsmore singled and then stole both second and third bases, maintaining her perfect record on stolen base attempts this season. Smith drove in two more runs with a single to right field.
Charleston Southern added three more runs in the fifth inning. Charlee Yourman was hit by a pitch and replaced by pinch runner Olivia Chuck. Emily Chandler hit her first home run of the season, bringing Chuck home for two runs. Kingsmore tripled and scored on an error by Sacred Heart, ending the game early due to run-rule regulations.
Pitcher Riley Lauffer earned her first shutout of the spring and her second complete game of the year by pitching all five innings, allowing only two hits and striking out eight batters.
In their second matchup against UCONN, Charleston Southern struggled offensively. Emma Villaescusa singled in the third inning while Jordyn Dimond and Addison Waring added singles in later innings but were unable to convert these opportunities into runs. In the fifth inning, Cadence Walding made her season debut as a pinch hitter and reached base on a walk. Linley Jones again served as a pinch runner but was left stranded after a double play ended any scoring chance.
Kinsey Clopton started as pitcher for Charleston Southern, followed by appearances from Brenna Conley and Gianna Deluco. Deluco recorded one strikeout while conceding only one run during her time on the mound.
UCONN managed to score in each of the five innings played, resulting in a 13-0 loss for Charleston Southern.
Looking ahead, Charleston Southern will continue its participation in day two of the Cici’s Pizza Lowcountry Classic on Saturday with games scheduled against UMass at 3 p.m. and Penn at 5:30 p.m., both available live on ESPN+.
