SOFTBALL DROPS SEASON FINALE AT CSU IN NINE INNINGS, 4-3

BOX SCORE
BOX SCORE

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern rallied from two late inning deficits and Kristin Kellher's two-out walk-off single in the ninth gave the Buccaneers (30-24, 12-9 Big South) a 4-3 win over Radford in nine innings as the teams played their final regular season contests Sunday afternoon from Buccaneer Field.

In the ninth, Ari Tedesco reached with one out when a collision at first caused a drop and moved to second on a swinging bunt. Kellher, with two strikes, dropped a single into no man's land for the winning hit.

Morgan Dowdy earned the complete-game win for CSU, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

The Highlanders (32-19, 16-5) received 6.2 strong innings from sophomore Stephanie Dameron, making her first start of the season. She scattered six hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter. Freshman Emily Norton suffered the defeat in 2.0 frames of relief. Norton (3-5) did not allow an earned run and gave up two hits.

Seniors Michelle Beall and Hannah Ojeda each had two hits for the Highlanders.

Only three runners reached third and failed to score, while the teams were a combined 0-9 with runners in scoring through the first six innings, but it took errors and RBI bunt singles to send the game into extra innings.

The top of seventh began with freshman Micalah Sacre reaching second on an overthrow by the third baseman. She was sacrificed to third, and then with two strikes Michelle Beall caught the Buccaneers by surprise by dropping down a perfect bunt to plate Sacre.

In the bottom half of the frame, Linzy Rother reached on a fielding error. Pinch runner Jasmine Conley moved to second on a ground out and to third on a two-out wild pitch. Ari Tedesco pushed a 3-1 pitch just past the circle to knot the game at 1-apiece.

In the eighth, Radford executed first and third situation with runners on first and third to take a 2-1 lead when senior Nichole Beall stole home. Sophomore Jessie Hutchens sent a chopper into right, scoring senior Vicki Madden from second.

That run was important as CSU tied it in the bottom of the eighth with two outs on a pair of cue shots, the second one which was dropped and allowed two Buccaneers to scoot home on the error.

The Highlanders loaded the bases in the ninth, but was unable to push across a run as a flyout ended it.

Radford threatened in the fifth and sixth innings, putting a runner on third with two outs, but a ground out and a strike out ended both rallies. CSU's frame was the third, but it was ended by a grounder to short.

The Highlanders, hosts of the 2012 Big South Tournament, are the top seed and will take on No. 8 Winthrop at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 10. The tournament will be May 10-13 at RU Softball Field, concluding with the Championship game on Sunday at 12:00 pm, live on ESPNU.

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