Box Score N. CHARLESTON, SC—Leah Young's 20^th career home run helped power the Eagles to a 6-3 win over Charleston Southern in the opening game of the series, Friday afternoon at the CSU Softball Complex.

Winthrop snaps its losing streak at six games and improves to 21-23 overall and 7-6 in the Big South. Charleston Southern falls to 20-28 overall and 5-8 in the league. The two teams will be back in action on Saturday in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

After the Eagles took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth, Young stepped in and hammered a two-run shot over the center field fence. Young becomes just the 6^th player in program history to hit 20 or more home runs in a career.

"We decided beforehand to split the pitchers and it worked out really well for us," said Winthrop co-head coach Mark Cooke. "Keleigh (Romine) and Kiley (Majette) did a great job for us. In the sixth inning to only allow one run with runners in scoring position and a good hitter up was big for us. We made some nice swings and did the things we had to do in order to win today."

Winthrop grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth as Ansley Gilreath came through with an RBI double with two outs and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Before Young came to the plate in the fifth, Shayna Covington led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a throwing error. Then Morgan Lowers hit a grounder to second that was misplayed as Ashley Westbrooks scored for a 4-2 lead. Then Young took the first pitch to center for the home run.

After the Eagles grabbed a 2-1 lead, the Buccaneers immediately tied it in the bottom half of the fourth. In the sixth inning the Bucs put runners at second and third after a single by Amanda Matsumoto and a double from Stevi Johnson. That brought up Jade Gandara, the league's leader in home runs and RBI, but Majette was able to get her to fly out to center that scored Matsumoto from third. Then Majette struck out Brittany McPherson to end the inning and then worked a 1-2-3 seventh for the win.

Majette improves to 12-12 on the year after tossing 4.1 innings of relief allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Romine threw 2.2 innings and allowed one run on three hits.

Paige Haley and Lowers each finished with two hits on the day as Lowers has now hit safely in three games. Covington reached base for the sixth consecutive game.