CHARLESTON, W.Va.—No. 13 University of Charleston Softball (33-2, 19-1 MEC) continues their roll with doubleheader sweeps over Salem University (9-25) and Notre Dame College (26-19, 9-11 MEC). They started the weekend off on Saturday with a pair of mercy rule victories over Salem and then 10-1 and 6-1 wins over Notre Dame on Sunday. 
 
After tallying three wins this weekend and picking up her seventeenth win in a row, Senior Brianna McCown improves to 23-1 on the season. In 15.2 innings pitched, she totaled 25 strikeouts, held opponents to a .078 batting average and only allowed four hits and two runs to score. In a relief appearance against Notre Dame, McCown twirled a stellar inning with three strikeouts in just nine pitches. 
 
With five hits across the four games, Senior Hannah Rose extends her hit streak to 21 games. Rose leads the MEC in batting average (.495), on base percentage (.559), OPS (1.302) and runs scored (46). Junior Allison Rubal ranks second in batting average (.457), while Senior Allysa Lake ranks second in OPS (1.289) and leads the conference in slugging percentage (1.289) and home runs (10). 
 
The Basics:
Location: Hope Field – Salem, W.Va. & Normandy Field – South Euclid, Ohio
Score: G1 vs. SU: 12-1 (W), G2 vs. SU: 10-0 (W); G1 vs. NDC: 10-1 (W), G2. Vs. NDC 6-1 (W)
Records: UC 33-2 (19-1 MEC); SU (9-25); NDC 26-19 (9-11 MEC)
 
How it Happened:
G1 vs. SU: 12-1 (W):
The Golden Eagles quickly got on the board in the first inning, scoring three runs on three hits. Rose led off with a single and advanced to second after Isabella Andujar reached first on a hit by pitch. With no outs, Lake lined out to second. The second baseman attempted to catch a Golden Eagle sleeping, but a poor throw allowed Rose to score and Andujar to advance to third. The next two runs came off a single by Hannah Meyer and a passed ball.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, McCown punched out the first Tiger of the day before they scored a run of their own on a solo home run. This did not shake the senior right hander though, as she shutdown the side on a line out and a strikeout. McCown was lights out the rest of the game, allowing no more hits or runs to score.
 
Charleston responded in the second inning by adding two more runs on a two RBI blast over the right field fence by Andujar. Salem allowed three more hits in the inning but got out of the it on a relay to the plate and a pop fly. The Golden Eagles did not score again until the fourth inning where they put up runs on a fielder's choice, singles by Meyer and Raegan West and a sacrifice fly by Kyra Gooler. The last three runs of the game came in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by Lake and a double by Meyer. Another shutdown inning by McCown secured the 12-1 mercy rule victory.
 
G2  vs. SU: 10-0
Chloe Elliott picked up her fifth win of the season in game two versus the Salem Tigers. The junior struck out four batters and allowed just four hits in the five-inning shutout mercy rule win. 
 
Hannah Meyer got the scoring started for UC in the second inning. She tripled to plate plate Bianca Polistina who previously walked and swiped second to put herself into scoring position. Meyer went on to score on a wild pitch before the Golden Eagles notched three more runs on a Hoppe single, a ground ball and an error. 
 
Charleston continued to pour it on in the third inning, as Lake knocked a double to spark the offense. Lindsey Reavis, who pinch ran for Lake, advanced to third on a passed ball before Polistina reached first safelt on a RBI bunt-single. The speedy sophomore then stole second on the next play to put another Golden Eagle in scoring position. A single by Rubal and a ground ball gave UC two more runs to make the score 6-1. 
 
The Golden Eagles closed out the scoring in the fifth inning following a pair of singles by Rubal and Hoppe. Freshman Ashley Cain pinch hit for Brittny Ogg and sealed the deal for Charleston on a double that drove in two runs for UC. Another inning of solid pitching by Elliott handed the Golden Eagles their second mercy rule win of the day by a score of 10-0. 
 
G1 vs. NDC: 10-1
The Falcons scored first in game one on a triple to left field and a double to right-center before McCown shut the offense down on a fly out, a strikeout swinging and a strikeout looking. 
 
Notre Dame continued to lead through the fourth until UC scored six runs on five hits and one error in the fifth inning. A long shot to center field by Rubal knotted the game at one to swing the momentum in Charleston's favor. With two runners on, Rose singled to center and advanced to second on an error while plating a run and moving a runner to third. Andujar followed things up with a three-run bomb to right-center to quickly make the score 5-1, UC. Batting around, Rubal was credited with the last run of the inning after driving a Golden Eagle in on a single down the right field line.
 
Dominating pitching by McCown kept the Falcons at bay, while UC's offense continued to produce at the plate. Ogg drove in the two final runs of the game in the seventh inning on a single to right field. 
 
G2 vs. NDC: 6-1
Following the first and second inning, game two was a pitching duel. Charleston tallied the first run of the game in the first inning, while Notre Dame tallied theirs in the second. Rose reached base on an error and advanced to third on a base hit by Andujar before she stole home on an error by the catcher. Another triple by the Falcons is how they got their offense started in the second. A single plated the runner at third to even the score at one.
From that point on, the bats went cold and the pitchers for both teams went to work.  McCown came in for relief for Elliott in the bottom of the fifth where she went on to strikeout seven Falcons and allow only one hit. 
 
It took until the eighth, but the Golden Eagles started cooking offensively. A walk and single by Rubal got it started for UC. Meyer and Gooler both hit into a fielder's choice two plate the first two runs of the inning, while Meyer scored the third run on a wild pitch. Polistina then blasted her third long ball of the season to rocket the Golden Eagles to a 6-1 lead. Charleston went on to win 6-1. 
 
Up Next:
Charleston heads to Institute, West Virginia to battle West Virginia State University today, Wednesday, April 17. The Golden Eagles swept the Yellow Jackets earlier in the season, beating them 8-2 in game one and 5-3 in game two. First pitch it set for 4pm.