CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern defeated Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon in a nail-biting 4-3 decision. The loss ends the Runnin' Bulldogs two-match win streak and gives the team their first conference loss of the season.
 
The doubles matches were played until Charleston Southern clinched the point. In the #2 match, Teodora Ristic and Manon Delsol lost 6-2. In the #1 flight, Miljana Ristic and Daniela Naupari were defeated 6-4. Madalina Man and Khyanna Singh clinched the point for the Buccaneers. Elin Hellberg and Maria Jardim played in the #3 position and it was unfinished and the set score was 4-4 when it was called.
 
In singles action, Charleston Southern extended their overall lead to 2-0 when Man won against M. Ristic 6-1, 6-3. The Runnin' Bulldogs stormed back, winning the #5 and #6 positions to tie it. Valentine Limauge won in the #6 battle 6-2, 6-3 for her first singles victory of the season. Jardim prevailed in the #5 match with a 6-3, 6-3 score.
 
Hellberg fell in the #3 position by a score of 7-6(11),6-3. Naupari claimed the victory in the #2 flight after losing the first set. The match ended 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. This tied the overall match and lead to the winner coming down the result on the #4 court with Delsol.
 
Delsol lost the first set 6-3 at #4 but came back to win the second set in a tiebreaker 7-6(8). The third set also needed a tiebreaker to decide the set's winner. Delsol overcame a 5-1 deficit and won five straight games to keep the match going. In the tiebreaker of the last game, Charleston Southern's Singh overcame the losing side of the 5-4 tiebreaker. She won the last three points and prevailed with the score ending at 7-6(5) to clinch the match for the Buccaneers.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs will face College of Charleston tomorrow for their next match with a start time of 1:00 p.m.