Cougars Open Homestand with Sweep of Youngstown State

Wednesday, March 7

Patriots Point

5:00 PM

College of Charleston

11-7

Youngstown State

4-10

Youngstown State

Col. of Charleston

Cougars Open Homestand with Sweep of Youngstown State

3/7/2018 10:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Mount Pleasant, S.C. – The College of Charleston opened a 12-game homestand in grand fashion, taking both ends of a doubleheader from Youngstown State by scores of 9-1 and 9-5 on Wednesday night at Patriots Point.

The Cougars (12-7) rode the home run bats of Madi Brown and Jordin Jones to a five-inning win in game one and rallied from a four-run deficit with eight runs over their final two at bats in the nightcap to complete the sweep.

Jones drove in four runs in the first game and five on the day to move into 14th place in school history with 89 career RBI. Her two-run single in the first inning of game one gave Charleston an early lead before the Cougars blew it open in the third.

Taylor Belfiore produced the first run of what turned out to be a five-run uprising with a single that plated Kelly Sinclair. A Gracyn Thrasher single loaded the bases and paved the way for a grand slam to dead center by Brown, the third home run of her career.

Jones launched a two-run shot to left in the fourth, her third of the season and 19th of her career. Summer Jenkins relieved starter Izzy Berouty in the fifth and set down the Penguins to invoke the eight-run rule.

Berouty allowed five hits and stranded seven runners in four innings to earn her eighth win of the season. She was the beneficiary of some outstanding defensive play, particularly by Alondra Vicary at second base.

Youngstown State loaded the bases with nobody out in the third, but Vicary made a diving stop of a grounder to get a force out then started a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and limit the Penguins to just one run.

The second game was tied at 5 heading into the bottom of the sixth when the Cougars put up their second straight four-run inning. Brittany Vicary drove in a pair of runs with a single to give her three hits and three RBI in the game, and Sara Garcia followed with a two-run double, capping her four-RBI performance.

The two-base hit was Garcia's 30th in her career, moving her into a tie for 14th in the Cougar record book.

The Cougars trailed 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth before storming back. Dexlie Inman doubled and scored on a single by Brittany Vicary, Jones produced a second run on a bases loaded ground out, and Garcia grounded a single up the middle to drive in two runs and tie the game.

Berouty picked up her second win of the day and ninth of the season, entering the game in relief in the fifth and allowing only one hit and one run over the final 2.2 innings.

The Cougars are back in action this weekend when they host the Holy City Showdown at Patriots Point. Charleston opens the tournament with games against Furman and Norfolk State on Friday.