Charleston Southern opened their 2026 season on Friday night with a 6-3, come-from-behind victory over Bucknell. Blake Edgmon drilled a double into the gap in left center when the bases were loaded, emptying them and pushing them ahead for the first time of the game with Tyler Henshaw dealing nine strikeouts in relief work to claim the win.
In the first inning, Bucknell was able to get on the board quickly with Michael Trommer hitting a solo home run over the fence in right field in the two-hole in the lineup.
The lead was short lived as in the Bucs’ half of the inning, Lucas Pringle drew a walk and stole second. He then scored from there as Alex Marot put a ball into play which led to a throwing error by the Bison infield allowing Pringle to come home and score to tie the game at one apiece.
In the third, Bucknell reclaimed the lead with a failed pickoff attempt allowing their runner from third base to advance the final 90 feet to score.
Charleston Southern brought it level again with this time coming in the fourth. The Bucs got the bases loaded with two outs and with Chandler Tuupo at the plate, the Bison infield had another error. Caden Wolfley scored from third and put the score at 2-2. Bucknell reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh off a solo home run from Michael Chiaravallo.
In the seventh, the Buccaneers rallied and put together four runs to claim their first lead of the game. The bases got loaded again in the frame as Alex Marot reached on an error with Nathan Martinez with a singling and Caden Wolfley walking to load the bases. Tyler Wright then walked as well, allowing Marot to score and tie the game. The Bison then put in a new pitcher and on the second pitch of the at bat, Blake Edgmon hit a bases clearing double to left center to give the Bucs their first lead of the game at 6-3.
Titus Von Kapff earned the starting nod and threw 4.2 innings and picked up five strikeouts in the outing. He allowed a pair of earned runs to go with two hits and two walks. Henshaw entered in the fifth and threw the rest of the game as he collected 4.1 of work. He struck out nine batters while allowing just two hits and a walk. In both the sixth and eighth innings, he retired all three batters faced in the frame by strikeout.
As a team, Charleston Southern had three hits with Tuupo, Martinez and Edgmon each had one. They collected 10 walks and three hit by pitches as well with Speirs and Wolfley each drawing a pair of walks and Pringle getting hit by two by pitches.
The two teams return to Nielsen Field @ CSU Ballpark tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. with the second game scheduled to begin 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first.