An NCAA record was tied, and a Southern Conference and
College of
Charleston record was broken as the Cougars blasted eight home runs in a 17-7 win over Appalachian State in Game 2 of a SoCon softball doubleheader on Saturday in
Boone, N.C.
The Cougars are tied for second among NCAA Division I schools, along with the University of Texas-San Antonio, which did it in back-to-back games on Apr. 1, 2004, against Texas Southern, and Texas State against Stephen F. Austin on March 2, 2002. The record is 10, which UTSA owns versus Texas Southern on April 8, 2004.
Charleston had a home run in every inning, but the third, including two each in the sixth and seventh innings. Leadoff hitter Izmena Cabrera had one in the first and one in the fifth, cleanup hitter Jennifer Golden hit three ? one in the fourth and two in the seventh, Shannon Howard hit one each in the second and sixth, and Kristie Shifflett had a solo shot in the sixth.
Although a home run derby ensued, the Cougars (16-17, 2-3 SoCon) were down 7-3 heading into the top of the fifth before Charleston scored 14 unanswered runs over the next three innings, including 10 runs in the final inning of the game.
Golden led the hit parade with 3-for-5 hitting, followed by Cabrera who went 2-for-3. Shifflett, Howard and Terri Mesko were 2-for-4. Katie Pesature was 2-for-5, followed by Amber Shifflett and Kolby Schooley who had a hit apiece.
Shannon Howard (4-7), who came in for relief, scattered three hits and stuck out two in 3 1/3 innings of work for the win.
Yancy Moose (6-10) took the loss for the Mountaineers (9-23, 2-3 SoCon) as she gave up four hits and six runs in 2/3 inning.
With bases loaded and two outs, freshman Katie Sansouci worked Charleston out of the jam to give Charleston the 9-8 win over Appalachian State in Game 1 and earn her first career save.
The Cougars took control of the game early, scoring seven runs in the second, followed by one run in the third. The Mountaineers scored a run in second, before adding three in the third to narrow the margin, 8-4.
Neither team would score over the next three innings, then the Appalachian State knotted the game, 8-all, with four runs in the bottom of seventh before Golden's RBI-single scored Cabrera who led off with a single up the middle for Charleston's 9-8 win.
Mesko (8-7) scattered nine hits and gave up eight runs ? five of which were unearned ? to get the win. She walked six and struck out six. Moss took the loss for the Mountaineers as she gave up seven runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings of work.
Cabrera was 3-for-4, followed by Golden and Schooley who were 2-for-4. K. Shifflett was 2-for-5. Howard, Pesature and Brittany Small each had a hit.
The Cougars will wrap up the series with Appalachian State at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
