Charleston Softball Heats Up: Cougars Sweep Drexel
Cougars on a 4-game winning streak
Charleston Softball just sent a message to the rest of the CAA — and really, to anyone watching. The Cougars delivered a dominant 4-1 week, capped by a weekend sweep of conference rival Drexel that showcased elite pitching, clutch bats, and a team clicking on all cylinders.
The action kicked off midweek with a doubleheader against Presbyterian. Game one didn’t go Charleston’s way — a narrow 4-3 loss — but it was far from a letdown. Lily Thorpe was lights out in the circle, tossing six scoreless innings and giving the Cougars a chance. Offensively, Austy Miller, Kennedy Rhue, and company made noise at the plate, but the rally fell just short.
In game two, Charleston bounced back with grit, grinding out a wild 7-6 win. Trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Cougars erupted. Izzy Alley went the distance for her second win of the year, while Rhue led the offensive surge with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring twice and driving in another. Karlee Hughes, Jay Wrightsman, and Julia Sitterding all delivered big hits in a comeback that fired up the dugout and set the tone for the weekend.
And what a weekend it was.
Charleston welcomed Drexel to town and promptly shut the door — literally. The Cougars didn’t allow a single run in the three-game sweep, outscoring the Dragons 11-0 and throwing three straight shutouts for the first time since 2012.
Freshman phenom Mackenzie Mathis got things started with a near no-hitter on Friday, tossing six innings of hitless softball before Drexel scratched out a single in the seventh. She finished with four strikeouts and a sparkling 1.58 ERA in conference play. The lone run came in the fourth, when Leela Langston doubled, stole third, and raced home on a Drexel error.
Saturday’s doubleheader was more of the same.
Game two belonged to Ryley Kutter, who went the distance with a shutout of her own and lowered her conference ERA to 1.36. Charleston got just enough offense with an RBI single from Langston and a picture-perfect bunt from Kaytlin Stacey that brought Langston around for the 2-0 win.
And in the series finale, Charleston brought the hammer.
Thorpe returned to the circle and delivered again, picking up her third win of the season in an 8-0 run-rule victory. The Cougars erupted for 13 hits, with Rhue going 3-for-3 and adding an RBI. Wrightsman, Hughes, and Sierra Paradis all had two-hit games, with Paradis driving in a pair and Wrightsman adding one of her own. Charleston ended it early in the sixth, putting an exclamation point on a weekend to remember.
The numbers tell the story: zero runs allowed, only eight hits surrendered, no errors committed — and a four-game win streak to push the Cougars to 17-19 overall and 9-3 in CAA play, good for fourth place in the conference.
Charleston is peaking at the right time. With dominant arms, a fearless lineup, and flawless defense, this team has the look of a legitimate contender as April heats up. If you haven’t been paying attention, now’s the time — Cougar softball is for real.
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