Cougar Bats Explode to Take Series Finale at Elon

Sunday, March 25

Elon, NC

1:00 PM

College of Charleston

18-13, 0-2

Elon

17-12, 2-0

Charleston

Elon

3/25/2018 6:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Elon, N.C. – The College of Charleston pounded out a season-high 16 hits including seven for extra bases in a 13-5 victory over Elon to take the final game of the opening Colonial Athletic Association series of the year.

The Phoenix took the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader by a score of 8-0, limiting the Cougars to just a second inning single by Gracyn Thrasher.

The Cougars (19-13, 1-2 CAA) recorded five doubles and got a grand slam from Kelly Sinclair and a three-run homer from Sara Garcia in an eight-run sixth that broke open a close game. The seven extra base hits were also a season best and included consecutive doubles by Sinclair, Taylor Belfiore and Jordin Jones that gave Charleston a 2-0 lead in the first.

Garcia and Lauren Lozano also had doubles, with Garcia moving into a tie for 11th in school history with 32. Lauren DeWitt had her first career hit and RBI in the sixth to give the Cougars a 6-3 lead, and Sinclair followed by clearing the fence in left center for her second grand slam after hitting one against UNCW in last year's CAA Tournament.

Belfiore had three hits and drove in two runs, and Jones had two hits, scored twice and had two RBI. Taylor DuPree had two hits after seeing her 13-game hitting streak come to an end in the first game of the twinbill. The senior third baseman moved within four of breaking Amanda Cone's school record of 250 career base hits.

Elon (17-13, 2-1) rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the fourth, but the Cougars answered the next inning. With two outs, Jones singled in the run that put Charleston ahead for good, and Lexee Emanuel knocked in Jones with a base hit to make it a 5-3 game.

Izzy Berouty scattered 10 hits in going the distance for her 11th win of the season.

The Cougars return home for four games next week, facing Charleston Southern on Tuesday at 6 and Drexel in a three-game CAA series beginning on Friday.