Charleston Cougars Fall to UNCW, Face Delaware in Elimination Game at 3 PM
Charleston, South Carolina – The College of Charleston baseball team faced a tough defeat against UNCW in an 8-5 loss at the CAA Tournament at Brooks Field in Wilmington. The Cougars fell behind by six runs in the first inning and struggled to complete a comeback against the Seahawks.
Key Highlights of the Game:
The top-seeded Cougars (40-13) lost for only the fourth time in their past 30 games and will now face No. 4 Delaware in an elimination contest at 3 p.m. The winner of that game will then have to beat the host No. 2 Seahawks twice tomorrow to claim the conference title.
The Seahawks got off to a strong start in the first inning, rallying five singles and a sacrifice fly to take a commanding lead. Despite the early deficit, Charleston fought back and managed to score four runs in the third inning, thanks to a two-run double by Cole Mathis and sacrifice flies by Cole Singsank and Kevin Madden.
Although the Cougars narrowed the gap to two runs on multiple occasions, they ultimately fell short in their bid to overcome the early six-run deficit. A solo homer by Madden in the fifth inning brought Charleston within striking distance, but the UNCW bullpen shut down the Cougar offense for the remainder of the game.
Player Performances:
Despite the loss, Cole Mathis delivered a strong performance at the plate with a two-run double, marking his third two-base hit of the tournament. Kevin Madden also contributed with two RBIs, including a solo homer in the fifth inning.
On the pitching front, Jake Brink settled down after a rocky first inning, allowing just two runs on two hits over his next four frames. The Charleston bullpen also put in a solid effort, with Hayden Thomas tossing a scoreless sixth inning and Alex Lyon delivering three innings of no-hit ball to keep the Cougars in the game.
What’s Next:
With the loss to UNCW, the Cougars will now turn their attention to the elimination game against Delaware at 3 p.m. The winner of that matchup will face the Seahawks in a doubleheader tomorrow, with the conference title on the line.
Charleston will look to bounce back from their setback against UNCW and keep their championship hopes alive as they continue their quest for CAA Tournament success.
