ROCK HILL, SC— Freshman Kiley Majette tosses 11 strong innings on the day to help Winthrop softball to a doubleheader split with Charleston Southern, Saturday afternoon at Terry Field. The Eagles dropped the first game 2-1 before bouncing back for a 5-2 win.

The Eagles are now 14-34 on the year and 4-13 in the Big South while Charleston Southern is 20-25 overall and 8-9 in the league. Winthrop will be back in action on Wednesday, Apr. 20 at 3 p.m. for a single game at Presbyterian College.

Prior to the doubleheader Winthrop's senior class was recognized and there was a moment of silence followed by a balloon release in memory of former Winthrop standout and Hall of Famer Janiva Willis and her friend Jeffrey Turner as they were cycling across country to raise money and awareness for mentoring children.

Majette tossed the final four innings of the first game allowing just one run on one hit and followed that up with a complete game win in the second game allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout.

"We leaned on Kiley heavily today and she responded very well," said Winthrop co-head coach Mark Cooke. "She controlled the zone, the game and didn't walk batters or give up hits. When she gave up a home run she came back and got outs. The difference in the game we won was she controlled the mound and we used our speed to score runs. It was good to get a win in the final game on our senior day."

Senior Zharne Glover delivered an RBI single through the right side while Blake Wallert had a two-run double to highlight a three-run first inning.

In the third the Eagles put across two more runs for a 5-0 lead. Shayna Covington led off the inning by drawing a walk and moved to second when Leah Young singled down the left field line. Glover stepped in and grounded to short but Stephanie Bergmann's throw to second was off the mark as Covington came around to score while Young moved to third and Glover to second. Blake Wallert came up and laid down a squeeze bunt as Young raced home as the Bucs only play was a throw to first for the out.

On the day, three of the four runs the Bucs scored came on home runs. In the second game Caitlyn Emberson hit a solo shot in the fourth while Brittany McPherson hit one in the fifth.

Arizona Pilgrim took the loss in the circle for the Bucs after allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Emberson's solo home run in the top of the fourth inning proved to be the game-winning run for the Buccaneers as she broke a 1-1 tie.

The Bucs took the first lead of the game in the second inning courtesy of a fielding error by the Eagles. Stevi Johnson led off the inning with a single and then Emberson reached on an error as Haley Zuehlke bobbled the ball at short as tried to scoop up the ball and throw to first. That was followed by a soft single to left by Georgi Delio and after Covington fielded the ball to hold the runners her throw back into the infield got away and Johnson scored from third.

The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the third. Paige Haley singled up the middle to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Morgan Lowers. Covington reached on a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners. Young scored Haley from third with a sacrifice fly to right.

Winthrop had a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Kim Ryder walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice by Haley. Lowers singled to center to put runners at the corners for pinch-hitter Toni Pancione, who grounded out as Lowers moved to second. Young stepped in with a chance for another RBI but struck out to end the game.
Hayley Elkins allowed just the one run on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts to earn the win in the circle for the Bucs.

Winthrop's Dallas King returned to action after a month off as she tossed the first three innings allowing the one unearned run on three hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Majette took the loss as she allowed one run on one hit with a walk and three strikeouts in four innings.

Young finished 3-for-3 in the second game of the doubleheader and had a total of four on the afternoon. Glover had two hits on the day and is now two away from 100 in her career. Wallert drove in three runs on the day.