With the victory, Charleston Southern improves to 19-12 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Gardner-Webb falls to 8-15 and 2-4 in Big South Conference matchups.

Over the last 10 games, Beres has a .500 batting average, and leads the team with a .565 average in conference play. 

After a scoreless top of the first, Amanda Matsumoto led off the home half of the first with a single for the Buccaneers. Darnell got Marci Christian to foul out to Scarlett Harris for the first inning, but Matsumoto stole second base to advance into scoring position. Gandara helped out her own cause with a single to center field, which advanced Matsumoto to third base, and Stevi Johnson singled home Matsumoto for the first run of the game. Darnell limited the damage to just one run, as Charleston Southern held a 1-0 lead after one inning of play.

Gandara did not allow a hit by the Dawgs in the second, as the Buccaneers continued to lead 1-0 entering the bottom of the second inning.  Georgi Delio flied out to right field for the first out of the second, but Natalie Yonan took first base, after she was hit by a Darnell pitch. Matsumo and Christian hit two straight singles to load the bases for the Buccaneers. Gandara singled home two runs with a single to center field, and Johnson followed up with a sacrifice fly to give Charleston Southern a 4-0 advantage.

Gandara would hold the Runnin' Bulldogs scoreless until the sixth inning, when Rachel Cumiskey drove in Beres with a sacrifice fly, but that was the only run of the game Gandara would allow.

Darnell would settle down on the mound nicely, limiting the Buccaneers to just three hits over the final four innings, but Charleston Southern would take the first game of a three-game series with a 4-1 victory.

The Runnin' Bulldogs return to action tomorrow when they face CSU in a doubleheader slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.