MOUNT PLEASANT, South Carolina – Charleston used a five-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat UNCW, 7-3, in the regular season finale for both teams at Patriots Point on Saturday afternoon.
The win, which elevated the Cougars' record to 25-28 overall and 9-12 in Colonial Athletic Association play, secured the final spot in the CAA Softball Championship for Charleston. UNCW, meanwhile, saw its season come to an end with a 26-28 record and 8-13 mark in the circuit.
After a nearly 40-minute weather delay prior to the sixth inning, the Cougars used five hits and a pair of UNCW errors to score five times in the bottom of the sixth inning. Charleston took a 4-3 lead with one out in the frame when a fielder's choice and error plated two runs.
A two-run double by senior Madi Brown upped the Cougars' lead to 6-3 with two outs in the inning before an infield single by senior Jordan Barcus moved the margin to 7-3.
The Cougars claimed an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when junior Lexee Emanuel blasted her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left center field.
But, the Seahawks answered with three runs in the top of the second inning to take a 3-2 advantage. Senior
Anna Hessenthaler hit a RBI double to left center field before a sacrifice fly by senior
Kali Jones tied the game at 2-2.
With two outs in the inning, redshirt junior
Rachel Willis secured the Seahawks' one-run lead with a RBI single through the left side.
Brown and senior Kelly Sinclair each tallied two hits in the win for the Cougars. Junior Izzy Berouty, who earned the save in both of Charleston's wins on Friday, picked up the victory in relief after surrendering just one hit over 5.1 innings with one strikeout and one walk.
Freshman
Janel Gamache led UNCW in the loss by going 3-for-4 while three other Seahawks added a hit. Senior
Haley Lenderman took the loss in the final game of her college career, allowing six earned runs on nine hits.
