Charleston, S.C. – Gracyn Thrasher hit a two-run homer to back the combined shutout pitching of Chandler Sparkman and Izzy Berouty as the College of Charleston defeated Rhode Island, 4-0, in its first game of the Charleston Invitational at Patriots Point.

The Cougars then dropped a 7-3 decision to Bryant to round out day one of the tournament. Charleston faces Marist at 3:45 and NC State at 8:15 on Saturday.

The Cougars (10-10) took a 2-0 lead over the Rams in the second when Sparkman walked and Thrasher drove a shot over the fence in left center for her team-leading third home run of the season. Two innings later, Lexee Emanuel and Sparkman had consecutive doubles, and an RBI single by Alondra Vicary made it 4-0. Thrasher and Vicary both had two hits in the contest.

In addition to her work at the plate, Sparkman made her second straight scoreless start. She allowed five hits and struck out five during her five innings in the circle to improve to 3-2. Sparkman was coming off a three-hit shutout of Charleston Southern in her first Cougar start on Wednesday.

Berouty entered in the sixth and pitched a pair of scoreless frames to secure the win. 

Charleston recorded 10 hits against Bryant but was unable to come through with runners on base, stranding 12 on base. Jenna Helberg had three hits and was in the middle of all three scoring innings for the Cougars, and Noel Dominguez also had three knocks.

After the Bulldogs scored six times in the third for a 7-0 lead, Drayton Siegling kept Charleston in the game with five shutout relief innings, surrendering only four hits and striking out three.