The College of Charleston extended its win streak to seven with as the Cougars took both ends of a Southern Conference softball doubleheader ? 3-2 and 4-1 ? from Georgia Southern before 161 on Friday at Patriots Point Field in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Charleston (21-17, 5-3 SoCon) will wrap up the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Terri Mesko (10-7) scattered five hits and allowed two runs in Game 1 for the win. She fanned eight. Georgia Southern's Melissa Laliberte fell to 6-9 after up giving four hits and the three runs. She walked four and struck out 11.
The Cougars tallied a pair of runs in the first inning when Kristie Shifflett blasted a home run to left center to score Amber Shifflett who reached on a walk.
Both teams remained scoreless over the next three innings before Georgia Southern (17-23, 4-4 SoCon) added two runs in the fifth. Elizabeth Branan's RBI-single up the middle scored Nina Iduate who pinch ran for Samantha Russo after she singled up the middle. Michelle Beasley, who reached on a miscue by Katie Peasture, scored the Eagles' final run of the game on Heather Smith's RBI-single.
Charleston answered with its final run of the game on a sac fly from Shannon Howard to score A. Shifflett after her second walk of the game.
Jennifer Golden led the Cougars' offense on 2-for-3 hitting, while Izmena Cabrera and K. Shifflett had a hit apiece. Branan, who led Georgia Southern's offense, was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI.
Game 2 was scoreless through the bottom of the fourth before Brittany Small hit an RBI-single to score Darla Roberson, who pinch ran for Howard after she walked. The Cougars added another run in the fifth when A. Shifflett scored on Howard's second RBI-sac fly of the day for the 2-0 lead.
Charleston scored two more runs in the sixth on K. Shifflett's RBI-double to left center to score A. Shifflett, followed by Golden's RBI-single to score K. Shifflett.
Katie Sansouci (6-3) yielded Georgia Southern its lone unearned run of the game in the seventh to Beasley who singled, then reached third on a fielding miscue by Kolby Schooley and was batted in by Branan on a single through the left side.
Sansouci scattered eight hits, walked two and struck out six.
Logan Free (5-10) took the loss as she gave up three hits and two runs. She walked seven and struck out two in 4 2/3 innings of work. A.J. Street pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief and gave three hits and two runs.
A. Shifflett was 2-for-3 to lead the Charleston offense, followed by Small who was 1-for-2 at the plate. Cabrera, K. Shifflett and Golden each had a hit.
Katie Smith was 2-for-3 to lead Georgia Southern at the plate.
