CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Savannah State University softball team (3-10) split the second day of the Charleston Southern Tournament losing to UT Arlington 8-5 in the first game and defeating host Charleston Southern 3-1 in the second game Saturday at the CSU Softball Field.
 
Sophomore center fielder Shelby Eccles led SSU with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with two runs scored, while junior left fielder Chasney Jenkins added a .600 (3-for-5) batting average with two runs scored, a triple, a home run and three RBIs and recorded a 1.667 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage in the two games.
 
Sophomore shortstop Brianna Harris recorded a .500 (3-for-6) batting average with a run scored, a double and 2RBIs and sophomore pitcher Ashley Eichenlaub recorded a .429 (3-for-7) batting average with two doubles.
 
UT Arlington 8, Savannah State 5
Freshman third baseman Cortni Jones and junior right fielder Alexis Singleton led SSU with a 2-for-4 performance and a run scored each, while Jenkins and freshman catcher Kelsey Cyrus each went 1-for-2, while Jenkins added a home run with a run scored and two RBIs.  Freshman pitcher Faith Dickerson (0-1) picked up the loss in her first career start pitching 2.2 innings giving up five earned runs on nine hits, while Eichenlaub pitched the final 4.1 innings giving up one run on five hits.
 
UT Arlington scored three runs in the top of the first inning to capture a 3-0 lead after an RBI double, a wild pitch and error that brought home two Mavericks.
 
The Lady Tigers bounced backed in the bottom half of the inning with a run by junior first baseman's RBI single to bring home Harris.
 
The Mavericks added a run in the top half of the next inning to take a 4-1 lead after two innings after an error that allowed a UTA runner to score and left the bases loaded.
 
UTA added three more runs in the top of the third inning to capture a 7-1 lead after an RBI single, RBI triple and scored on an error.
 
SSU scored a run in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 7-2 after Jenkins leadoff home run.
 
The Lady Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 7-4 after six innings.  Jones lead off the inning with a single, followed by senior second baseman Antonette Smith's RBI double to bring in Jones for the first run of the inning.  After a strikeout for the first out of the inning, Cyrus singled to put runners on the corners with one out.
 
Senior right fielder Molly Lillis was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Jenkins walked to bring home Smith for the second run of the inning and to keep the bases loaded with one out.  The inning ended after a double play to second base.
 
UT Arlington scored its final run of the game in the top of the seventh inning after a leadoff home run to left center, but Savannah State scored a run in the bottom half of the inning to cut UTA's final margin to three runs. 
 
SSU started the inning with a Singleton single through the left side and Hallman reached on a fielding error by the shortstop to put runners on first and second with no outs.  Jones reached first base on a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.
 
A double play to the second baseman allowed Singleton to score and put a runner on third base with two outs.  A groundout ended the inning and the game.
 
Sandra Mendoza led UT Arlington with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI, while Krista Rude went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Laura Curry went 2-for-4 with a runs scored.  Taylor Simmonds (3-0) picked up the win in relief pitching 3.2 innings giving up two runs on four hits.
 
Savannah State 3, Charleston Southern 1
Harris went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Eichenlaub, Eccles and Jenkins each went 2-for-3 with Jenkins recording a run scored and an RBI and Eccles scored twice. Hallman (2-3) picked up the win going to the distance giving up a run on five hits with four strikeouts. 
 
Charleston Southern broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second inning after an RBI double to lead 1-0 after two innings.
 
Savannah State took the lead after scoring two runs in the top of the fifth inning, 2-1, after five innings.  After a groundout to start the inning, Eccles singled through the right side and was brought home after Jenkins' RBI triple to put a runner on third with one out.
 
Harris doubled to right center to bring home Jenkins, but after a groundout that advanced Harris to third and a pop up to second base ended SSU's threat.
 
The Lady Tigers scored the final run of the game in the top of the seventh inning after Harris' RBI single that brought home Eccles to give SSU the two-run win.
 
CSU went three-up and three-down in the bottom half of the inning to end the game and secure the SSU win.
 
The Buccaneers were led by Jade Gandara with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, while Brittany McPherson added the lone RBI and went 1-for-3.
 
The Lady Tigers finish the tournament with another game against Charleston Southern Sunday at 1 p.m. Wednesday before returning home for a doubleheader against Presbyterian College starting at 3 p.m. at the Lady Tiger Softball Field.
 
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