College of Charleston 4, Charleston Southern 3 (8 innings)

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The College of Charleston softball team extended its winning streak to six games Tuesday night when it won both games of a double header against Charleston Southern at Patriots Point.

The Cougars had to come from behind both times in order to pull out the wins and produced timely hitting in the sixth inning of the first game and eighth inning of the second to do so.

Jen Rosene and Alexa Datko earned wins in the circle on the night.

Hillary Stringer paced the Cougars' offense with three RBIs on the night including a two-run home run which got CofC back into the first game. Katie Forbes was 2-for-4 on the night with a home run and a double. Kelsey Hodgson homered for the Cougars as well.

GAME ONE: CofC: 6, Charleston Southern: 3
In the opener, the Cougars fought back from a 3-0 deficit to come away with a victory. Rosene pitched four innings of quality softball to keep CofC in the game until a four-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth. Rosene allowed just three hits and struck out five.

CofC fell behind in the top of the second when the Bucs loaded the bases and Kristin Kelleher doubled to right center to plate all three runs.

The Cougars had an answer in the bottom-half of the inning when Hodgson singled to center field with one out and Stringer homered to left center to make the score 3-2.

CSU looked to expand its lead in the third with a leadoff triple from Jana Matthews. The next batter, Trea Steele, sent a ball deep to left field but Carly Corthell tracked it to the wall and made a dazzling catch up against the fence. Corthell got the ball to center fielder Kristi Woodall who fired to third base to double up Matthews who left the bag early.

The 3-2 lead held until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Cougars exploded for four runs. Woodall led off with a hit-by-pitch and then Amanda Lonergan reached on a bunt single, advancing Woodall all the way to third. Katie Pesature singled to right center field to score Woodall and tie the game. Forbes then doubled down the left-field line to score one run and put runners on second and third before Stringer's ensuing sacrifice fly made the score 5-3. Later in the inning, Blakeney Sitton singled to score Forbes, pushing the score to the eventual final, 6-3.

GAME TWO: CofC: 4, Charleston Southern 3 (8 Innings)
In the second, the Cougars rallied to erase two separate deficits two pull off the extra-inning win. Datko went the full eight innings striking out 10 batters.

The game was a pitchers' duel until the fifth inning when the Bucs put together a two-out rally to go up 2-0. The Cougars recorded two quick outs before CSU loaded the bases via a triple and two walks and Matthews singled to plate the two runs.

CofC bounced back in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out single from Katie Nutaitis backed up by a game-tying home run to right center from Hodgson.

CSU plated the potential game winner in the top of the seventh when they once again loaded the bases and Erin Kegley picked up an RBI with a ground ball. The Cougars minimized the damage with an alert play by Lizzy Vaughn in which she threw home on a ground ball hit to shortstop and got the runner out after a rundown.

The Cougars forced extra innings when Forbes led the top of the seventh inning off with a solo homerun to left center.

In the extra frame, Courtney Clark led off with a double which eventually led to a bases-loaded situation for Woodall. Woodall produced with a single through the right side of the infield to plate the game-winning run.

NEXT UP
The Cougars will host the CofC Cougar Classic and play five games over the weekend of Friday, Feb. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 27. CofC opens play with a 4 p.m. game against Drexel on Friday evening.