NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Coastal Carolina's softball team fell 4-3 to Charleston Southern in the series opener Friday, April 4 at Buccaneer Field in North Charleston, S.C.

The Lady Chanticleers (14-24, 2-2 Big South) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Sophomore Laicole Walker (Wichita, Kan./Wichita Collegiate School) began the game by being hit by a pitch. Senior Allison Cantrell (McDonough, Ga./Eagle's Landing) reached first on a bunt that moved Walker to third. Coastal loaded up the bases as junior Verity Long-Droppert (Claremont, Australia/Shenton (Western Australia)) was hit by a pitch. In the next at-bat, junior Brittany Birnbaum (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala) hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Watlker to cross home plate.

In the third inning, Cantrell had a lead-off triple to right center and then Long-Droppert blasted a two-run home run to make it a 3-0 game.

However, Charleston Southern (16-26, 1-3 Big South) evened the game in the bottom of the third. Brittany Gianni started Charleston Southern's offense with a walk. Jill Shondel reached first on a bunt and Gianni moved to third on the throw. Amy Trenkamp's sacrifice bunt advanced Shondel to second in order to give the Lady Bucs runners in scoring position. A Megan Hall walk loaded up the bases for Ashley Conway, who hit an RBI single to center field that advanced Hall and Shondel to second and third, respectively, and scored Gianni. Gail Matsushima reached first on a fielder's choice to Walker at shortstop, but as the Lady Chants got Conway out at second, Shondel scored to make it a one-run game. With two outs, Tatjana Slawson's double to right field allowed Hall to score the game-tying run and make it a 3-3 game.

The Lady Buccaneers scored the eventual game-winner in the fiifth inning. With two outs, Matsushima was hit by a pitch and Erin Green entered the game to pinch run for Matsushima. Green moved to second off a Slawson single to left field and then eventually scored as Jennifer Brooks singled to center field.

Jamie Wellons threw all seven innings for the Lady Bucs en route to picking up the win. She allowed three runs off seven hits and struck out five. Freshman Ashley Pedersen (Fayetteville, Ga./Whitewater) had the loss after she threw the final 3.1 innings, giving up one run off four hits.

The Coastal-Charleston Southern series continues in Conway on Sunday, April 6 with a doubleheader at the CCU Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.