Jacquie Rothey went 4-for-4 to lead the Cougars to an 8-1 victory over ETSU in softball action this afternoon at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
The win puts the Cougars at 34-5 and 11-1 in the Southern Conference. The 11 SoCon wins break the record for most conference wins in a season of 10, set last season. The Cougars also increased their home winning streak to 24 and have won their last 24 of 25 games. The Bucs drop to 16-19 on the year and 3-8 in the conference.
The Cougars scored first with three in the first after Keyta Lawson led off the inning with a single and was brought home when Rothey singled to center field. Melissa Creeger, who went one-for-three on the day with three RBI, doubled in Jessica Schwartzkopf and Amanda Cone.
ETSU answered in the top of the third with a run as Janine Sprague doubled to left field and came home off and errant throw by the pitcher the next at bat.
Charleston responded promptly with four runs in the bottom of the third. Rothey singled to lead off the inning and came home when Creeger sacrificed her in. The next at-bat Lauren Rabun doubled in Schwartzkopf and Cone and came home when Katie Scott hit a single through the left side.
The Cougars scored in the fifth to increase the total to 8-1 after Mallory Davis scored off an error by the right fielder.
East Tennessee State will host Winthrop at Kiwanis Park in Johnson City on April 16 in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
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On Saturday, Charleston combined for 25 hits, including five from Jacquie Rothey and six from Keyta Lawson to sweep the ETSU softball team, 6-1 and 12-4, Saturday at Patriots Point.
The Cougars improved to 33-5 overall and 10-1 in the SoCon and increased their home winning streak to 23 games, winning their last seven in a row and last 23 of 24. ETSU fell to 16-18 and 3-7.
The College of Charleston started its scoring early in the first game, bringing in two runs in the bottom of the first inning after Amanda Cone doubled in Lawson and Rothey. The Bucs answered with a run in the second when a single by Rhea Holler drove in Lindsay Lane. That would be it for Bucs as the Cougars shut them out the rest of the way.
The Cougars scored again in the fourth and fifth with a run each. Rothey hit one of her three doubles to bring home Brooke Flowers in the fourth and Lawson singled to bring in Melissa Creeger in the fifth.
Two more runs would come across the plate for Charleston in the sixth when Jessica Schwartzkopf doubled in pinch-runner Lindsay Ellis and Creeger doubled to send home Schwartzkopf as the Cougars took the 6-1 lead.
Rachel Stern improved to 18-1, giving up just four hits and no earned runs. Tiffany McVay pitched 5 1/3 innings to take the loss and drop to 9-6 on the year.
The Cougars fell down 4-0 after the first two innings of the second game. ETSU’s Lane singled in McVay to go up 1-0 in the first inning. The second inning saw the Bucs score three when Holler doubled to send Jessica Lonsinger home and Dani Spetar singled in Sheryl Clark. Holler scored on a wild pitch and the inning ended with ETSU leading 4-0.
Charleston’s Rothey drove in Lawson in the third to cut the margin to 3-1.
The Cougar offense exploded in the fourth inning for eight runs off six hits. LeShe Russell pinch hit and singled to bring in Lauren Rabun and Rothey walked in the next runner with bases loaded. Cone was hit by the pitcher to send home Russell and Schwartzkopf’s single the next at-bat drove in two more runs.
Natalie Smith started the game, left in the second inning and came back in the third to take the win and go 8-2 on the year. Jennifer Fraser came in relief for the Bucs and takes the loss to fall to 5-9.
Rothey led the Cougar effort, going 5-for-6 with three RBIs. Lane led the Bucs, going 3-for-6 on the day with one RBI.Holler followed with a 2-for-4 effort and two RBIs.

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