NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (Interstat) — Titus von Kapff delivered a masterful complete-game shutout, and the Charleston Southern offense erupted for six runs in the middle innings to power the Buccaneers to a 7-0 victory over Presbyterian on Thursday night at Buccaneer Ballpark in the opener of a three-game Big South Conference series.

The right-handed von Kapff was dominant, scattering six singles while striking out five and walking none over nine efficient innings. He needed just 104 pitches to finish the game, facing only four batters over the minimum. His performance came on the heels of a tough-luck, four-run outing against Winthrop just six days prior, and it lowered his season ERA to 2.45.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the fourth inning, transforming a tight contest into a comfortable Buccaneers lead. Charleston Southern led 1-0 entering the frame, having scored on Mason Reising’s RBI single in the first. Presbyterian starter Mason McDaniel had kept the Buccaneers hitless through three innings before being relieved.

Tristan McGregor took over for the Blue Hose in the fourth and immediately encountered trouble. A single and a hit batter put two runners on for Lucas Pringle, whose single to right field brought home one run and was compounded by a fielding error. After a fielder’s choice, Ethan Reader lifted a sacrifice fly to center, making it 3-0. The pivotal blow came next, as cleanup hitter Blake Edgmon connected for a two-run homer over the left-field wall, stretching the lead to 5-0 and chasing McGregor from the game.

Charleston Southern added two unearned runs in the fifth, capitalizing on a pair of Presbyterian errors. Pringle drove in his second run of the game with a single, and Reader followed with an RBI single of his own to extend the advantage to 7-0.

That was more than enough support for von Kapff. The Presbyterian offense, which entered the game with a 6-23 record, managed only singles and never advanced a runner past second base. The Blue Hose put two runners on in the first and eighth innings, but von Kapff induced an inning-ending caught stealing in the first and a double play in the eighth to snuff out the threats. Shortstop Bo Moody was the lone bright spot for Presbyterian, going 2 for 3 with a hit-by-pitch.

Edgmon finished 2 for 4 with the decisive two-run homer and a double. Pringle also had two hits and two RBIs, while Reader drove in two runs.

The loss dropped Presbyterian to 6-24 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Charleston Southern improved to 18-10 and 1-0 in the Big South. The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, whose game simulator had forecast a 5-3 Buccaneers win and gave Charleston Southern a 69% probability of victory.

The teams are scheduled to continue the series Friday and Saturday at Buccaneer Ballpark. Presbyterian will visit Georgia next Tuesday, while Charleston Southern will travel to face The Citadel.