CHARLESTON, W.Va. -
Kelly Browning hit a 2-0 pitch out of the park to win in walk-off fashion and complete the 11-3 and 5-4 sweep of Fairmont State University Saturday afternoon. No. 24 Charleston (40-7, 27-3 MEC) celebrated the 2016 senior class between games as UC ran its record-setting winning streak to 20 games.
Game one saw Charleston tally 17 hits and score 11 runs in the mercy rule victory.
Alli Burdette picked up her Mountain East Conference-leading 23rd victory of the season. At the plate, UC saw every batter get a hit in the game, led by
Allison Evans going 4 for 4.
Rachelle Toppings,
Laura Ashlock, and
Alayna Carlson each added two hits. Ashlock set the UC single-season record with her 12th home run in the sixth inning, and Carlson drove in three runs.
Game two saw Fairmont State battle UC back-and-forth, taking a 2-1 lead into the fifth inning. FSU miscues, a sacrifice fly by
Bethany Williams, and a Carlson single saw Charleston push three runs across. However, Courtney Iacobacci hit her second home run of the day to tie the game at 4 in the sixth. In the seventh,
Jessie Rowe gave way to Burdette with one out and a runner on first. Burdette retired two of the next three batters and Browning did the rest as she hit a solo home run into the pool that cleared the second fence at the UC Softball Stadium. Burdette grabbed win No. 24 on the season.
With the two victories, Charleston has clinched at least a share of the MEC Southern Division Title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, which begins April 29 in Troutville, Va.
UC will complete the regular season Sunday, April 24, with a doubleheader at home against Shepherd University with first pitch slated for 2 p.m.