Charleston Southern punched their ticket to the Big South Championships with a dominant 21-5 victory over UNC Asheville in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Before the game resumed, the Buccaneers honored their 16 senior student-athletes with a pregame ceremony. They followed up the win with a close 6-4 loss in the series finale, where a ninth-inning rally came up just short.
Game Two: A Powerful Offensive Performance
In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Charleston Southern came out strong offensively, taking a 3-0 lead by the second inning, with a solo home run from Kaden Smith in the first and an RBI double by Nathan Martinez in the second. UNC Asheville responded in the third with a run of their own, but the Bucs put together an impressive offensive stretch, scoring 11 unanswered runs.
AJ Martin’s solo home run in the third was followed by a ten-run explosion in the fourth, during which Charleston Southern batted around the order. The Bucs’ scoring was driven by bases-loaded walks, a hit by pitch with the bases loaded, and a two-run double by Lucas Pringle. The frame ended with Charleston Southern leading 14-1.
UNC Asheville managed two runs in the fifth, but Charleston Southern wasn’t done. After a lightning delay, the Bucs picked up right where they left off, scoring five more runs in the sixth, including a three-run double from Aidan McAskie. The Bucs sealed the game with a 21-5 victory in just seven innings, enforcing the run rule.
Parks Ledwell started for the Bucs and pitched four solid innings, allowing just one earned run. Tyler Henshaw picked up the win, moving to 7-1 on the season, and Christian Krause finished the game with two scoreless innings.
McAskie had a career day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with seven RBIs and scoring four times. Smith, Edgmon, Martin, and Pringle each had multi-hit performances, while the team as a whole tallied 12 hits, 11 walks, and three hit-by-pitches.
Game Three: A Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short
In the second game of the doubleheader, UNC Asheville took an early lead in the top of the first inning. Charleston Southern responded in the fourth, with McAskie walking and Pringle getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed Pringle to score the Bucs’ first run, tying the game 1-1.
The Bulldogs regained the lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs to go up 3-1. In the ninth inning, the Bucs mounted a late comeback with three runs, cutting the deficit to 6-4. Collins had an infield single that set up Tuupo’s RBI triple, followed by a Martin single and a Pringle RBI hit. However, the Bucs’ rally ended there as the final two batters were retired, and they fell short in the series finale.
Tait Robertson started for Charleston Southern, throwing four innings and allowing two unearned runs. Ryan DuSang followed with three solid innings of relief, giving up one unearned run.
Tuupo, Martin, and Pringle each contributed an RBI in the game, while McAskie capped off an incredible weekend by drawing three walks. He reached base in every plate appearance across the first two games of the series.
Looking Ahead
Charleston Southern will return to action on Tuesday for their home finale against The Citadel. The game is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be available live on ESPN+. After that, the Bucs will head to Boiling Springs, N.C. to take on the Runnin’ Bulldogs in the regular season finale, which runs from Thursday, May 15 through Saturday, May 17.
