The College of Charleston softball team overcame an 8-0 deficit to defeat the University of Pennsylvania 10-8 on the final day of the Lowcountry Classic in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The Cougars are now 7-4 after completing a two-week stretch of home tournaments at Patriots Point.
Charleston scored all 10 runs between the third and sixth innings. Shortstop Austy Miller doubled in the third inning, sending Lily Thorpe home for her first run. Leela Langston singled, allowing Bronwyn Conroy to score from third, and Hailey Seymour grounded out as Miller crossed home plate for a third straight run. Karlee Hughes doubled later in the inning, cutting UPenn’s lead to four.
Jules Raymond held UPenn scoreless in the top of the fourth. In their next at-bat, Charleston added two more runs when Miller singled up the middle for two RBIs as Julia Sitterding and Conroy scored. Langston’s sacrifice fly brought Miller home, narrowing UPenn’s lead to one.
In the fifth inning, with Hughes on third base, Thorpe hit her first career home run on a full count pitch, giving Charleston a 9-8 lead.
Mackenzie Mathis entered as pitcher in the sixth and shut down Penn’s offense in five pitches. Conroy added another run after Miller grounded out in the bottom half of that inning.
Charleston recorded 11 hits; Conroy led with four hits and three runs scored. Four pitchers took part for Charleston: starter Kendall Thackston was followed by Raymond and Mathis, who allowed no runs and just two hits over five combined innings.
After Sunday’s game, Conroy has reached 14 stolen bases this season with a .500 batting average and 13 total runs scored.
Samantha Horn made her first career start against UPenn with two at-bats and walked twice.
Next up for Charleston is its first road trip of the season to Atlanta for the I-75 Tournament hosted by Georgia Tech beginning February 19 against Georgia Tech at 1 p.m., followed by games against Purdue and Yale over the weekend. Afterward, Charleston returns home to host Georgia State from February 27 through March 1.
