CHARLESTON. W.Va.—No. 14 University of Charleston Softball (25-2) swept Glenville State University and split with Concord University this past weekend. UC is the only team in the country ranked in the top 12 in earned run average, batting average and fielding percentage. Only two other teams are ranked in the top 15 for two of those three categories.  
 
On Friday, Charleston improved its record by two games and outscored the Pioneers 18-3. They went on to extend their win streak to 15 games on Saturday with a win over Concord, but they fell 6-5 in game two to notch just their second loss of the season. In the four games played, UC also picked two more mercy rule wins.
 
Hannah Rose continues to lead the Golden Eagles offensively, as she has strung along an active 15-game hitting streak. This weekend, the senior boosted her batting average above 500, going 8-for-12 (.667) with an OPS of 1.667, six runs scored, six runs driven in and three doubles. She was also nifty on the basepath, swiping four bags in four attempts.
 
Brianna McCown (16-1) secured two of Charleston's three wins this weekend. Her first win came against Glenville in the first game of the doubleheader matchup. In the 7-0 victory, the senior punched out 11 Pioneers with no walks, no runs and only one hit allowed. In game one versus Concord, McCown struck out six. Freshman Layla Jelenic and Junior Chloe Elliott worked together in game two versus Glenville to give UC its twenty-fourth win of the season. Jelenic was credited with the win with three strikeouts, while Elliott was credited with her first save of the season with one strikeout and only one hit allowed in two innings of work.
 
The Basics:
Location: Watt Powell Annex (UC Softball Field)
Score: G1 vs. Glenville: 7-0 (W), G2 vs. Glenville: 11-3 (6 inn., W); G1 vs. Concord: 13-2 (5 inn., W), G2 vs. Concord: 6-5 (CU, L)
Records: UCWV 25-2 (13-1 MEC), GSU 10-15 (4-10 MEC), CU 19-15 (7-7 MEC)
 
How it Happened:
G1 vs. GSU: 7-0 (W)
Dominating pitching by McCown and a hot offense is how the Golden Eagles secured the 7-0 win versus Glenville in game one. The senior held the Pioneers to just one hit in seven innings pitched, while Charleston knocked nine hits. 
 
A double by Rose and savvy baserunning quickly applied pressure to the Glenville defense in the bottom of the first. Andujar then went on to pop up to short, but Rose capitalized on a throwing error to score the first run of the game for Charleston. The Pioneers closed out the inning on a pair of ground balls. 
 
Bianca Polistina got the offense started again with a bunt for a base hit. The sophomore then stole second and third before scoring on a groundout off the bat of Raegan West. Managing to get out of the inning again, a solo shot by Allysa Lake in the third, a 3-run homer by Isabella Andujar and a double by Polistina in the fifth quickly made the score 7-0, UC. This closed out the scoring for the game, securing the win for the Golden Eagles.

G2 vs. GSU: 11-3 (W)
After losing 7-0 in game one, Glenville seemed to turn it around in game two. They scored first via the long ball in the top of the second inning and then tacked on another run in the third on a hit and an error. The Golden Eagles eventually got on the board in the third inning. Brittny Ogg started it off with a single and advanced to second after Rose reached first on a hit by pitch. A single by Lindsey Phares plated Ogg to cut the deficit to just one.
 
The momentum quickly shifted back in Glenville's favor in the fourth inning though, as they led it off with a home run over the centerfield fence. Starting pitcher Jelenic did not let the solo shot phase her though. The freshman went on to retire the side on a fly out, a strikeout and a groundout to pass the bats back to her teammates.
 
Charleston turned on the jets in the bottom of the fourth inning. They came from behind and broke it open, scoring five runs on an Allison Rubal double, an Ogg single, a two-run Andujar homer and a deep shot by Lake. UC concluded the inning leading 6-3.
 
Elliott relieved Jelenic in the top of the fifth inning with the three-run cushion. After giving up a leadoff single, she shut down the side on a pair of fly-outs and a strikeout. From there, UC added a run on a sacrifice fly by Rose in their half of the fifth, scoring Kyra Gooler who led the inning off with a double. 
 
The last four runs of the game came in the sixth inning. Like Gooler in the previous inning, Lake also started the offense off with a double. Another two-bagger, but this time off the bat of Phares, plated Lake to make the score 9-3 in favor of UC. The Golden Eagles secured the 11-3 mercy rule victory after Gooler reached on a fielder's choice and Rose walked it off on a single to third base to score the final run. 
 
G1 vs. CU 13-2 (W)
Charleston wasted no time in the first game against Concord on Saturday. McCown shut down the Mountain Lions' side in order to start the game off on the right foot for UC. Her offense then went on to tally six runs on seven hits and one error in the bottom half of the inning. 
 
Spark plug Rose singled to put a runner on with no outs. The New Haven, West Virginia native then advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a single by Lake. Phares then stepped up to the plate and drilled a ball to right field. The right fielder attempted to dive for the ball but failed to get a handle on it, so Phares turned on her wheels and reached safely at third for her first triple of the season. With the score quickly at 2-0, Polistina drove Phares home on a single. A pair of singles by Hannah Meyer and Rubal continued to apply pressure to the Mountain Lions before West forced an error and picked up an RBI on a hard-hit ball to the shortstop. After Concord switched pitcher and shifted the lineup around, Rose stepped into the batter's box for the second time in the just the first inning. She was credited with a sacrifice fly after knocking one deep to the centerfielder, scoring Rubal.
 
Both Charleston's and Concord's pitching shutdown the bats in the second inning. The Mountain Lions cracked the scoreboard in the top of the third inning though. Two singles got it going for CU. With one out already on the board via a punchout, McCown also got the second out herself a ball tapped to the circle. This advanced the runners to second and third though before they went on to score on another single. However, Concord did not continue to build on their momentum. They grounded out to conclude their half of the inning.
 
The rest of the runs for the Golden Eagles and the game itself came in the bottom of the third inning. Starting it off was Rubal who reached on an error and advanced to second on a single by West. Ogg also singled on a hit by Rose who put herself in scoring position on the following play by swiping second base. The rest of the runs came on a two-run RBI single by Lake, sacrifice flies by Polistina and Meyer and a hit by Rubal. Both teams played five innings, however Concord could not catch up, so the Golden Eagles were handed their sixteenth straight win in a row. 
 
G2 vs. CU: 6-5 (L)
Charleston appeared to get complacent in the second game of the doubleheader. Like the Pioneers, the Mountain Lions scored the first three runs to put them ahead. The three runs came off a single, a sacrifice fly and a stolen base. UC grinded the lead down to just one though, as they scored two on a hit by Lake and as sac-fly by Phares. 
 
In the bottom of the fourth inning, a pair of doubles by Rose and Andujar gave the Golden Eagles a 5-3 advantage over Concord. It was short lived though, as the Mountain Lions regained the lead in the sixth on a fielder's choice, a single and a pass ball. UC was shut down in the sixth and seventh innings, giving them just their second loss of the season.
 
Up Next:
The Golden Eagles will play their first road game since March 17 on Saturday, April 6 against Davis & Elkins College. First pitch is scheduled for 12pm at the Joni Smith Field in Elkins, W.Va.