MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The Charleston Southern softball team received solid starts from juniors Morgan Dowdy and Linzy Rother, but could not get its offense on track as College of Charleston swept a doubleheader at the Patriots Point Athletic Complex on Wednesday evening. CSU (5-3) dropped game one by a 3-0 final, before falling 3-1 in the nightcap.

Kelsey Hodgson's two-run home run punctuated a three-run sixth inning in game one, as College of Charleston (6-1) broke open a pitcher's duel to defeat CSU, 3-0.

Morgan Dowdy had been in control through the first five frames, but the Cougars got a double from Ashton Jarrett to start the sixth and set the merry-go-round in motion. Jarrett advanced to third on a flyout, and scurried home for the first tally of the double dip when Lizzy Vaughn smacked a RBI single up the middle. Hodgson was next, and pulled a two-run shot down the left field line to cap the scoring.

Dowdy (4-1) was still able to notch her fourth complete game of the young year in defeat, allowing the three runs on four hits over 6.0 innings, while striking out four. Charleston's Stephanie Saylors (3-0) was masterful in tossing a complete game shutout, as she permitted just three hits while fanning 12. Stephanie Sbardella registered two of those three base knocks with a pair of singles, upping her team-best hitting streak to five games.

Rother (0-1) made her first appearance on the mound in a CSU uniform in the second contest, and kept Charleston off the scoreboard until the third inning. The Cougars used the long ball once again to strike first, as Hodgson clocked a 3-2 pitch over the left-center field wall for her second round-tripper of the day, giving C of C a 2-0 lead.

Jarrett set the table again to help force Rother from the circle in the fifth, stroking a leadoff single and crossing to third on a pair of bunts before Hodgson continued her banner day with a RBI single to shortstop. Rother was pulled with one out in the frame, after yielding the three runs on six hits and a walk while sprinkling in four punch-outs.

Hope Klicker (3-0) picked up where Saylors left off in the opener and spun 5.0 innings of scoreless ball while scattering four hits and striking out five.

CSU forged a rally to prompt Saylors back on in relief of Klicker in the sixth, making the score 3-1 when Jana Matthews plugged the right-center field alley with a RBI double. Saylors issued a walk to Kristin Kelleher to load the bases with nobody out, but played the role of stopper inducing a fly out and striking out two to thwart the threat.

Matthews and Brock each registered two-hit nights for the Bucs in the back-end of the doubleheader, but no one else was able to find the hit column.

CSU returns to action on Friday and Saturday as it hosts the Charleston Southern Tournament by welcoming Wright State, Hampton, and UMBC to Buccaneer Field for round-robin play. The Bucs' first game of the tourney is scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. versus Wright State, with a second slated for 3 p.m. that same afternoon, against Hampton.