Nineteenth-ranked Charleston (WV) earned a 4-0 win in the opener, before rallying for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to slip by Pitt-Johnstown, 4-3, in the Mountain Cats' 2024 season-opening doubleheader, Sunday afternoon in Charleston, W.Va.
 
In the opener, Pitt-Johnstown freshman right-hander Addison Hilligsberg and Charleston's Brianna McCown locked up in a scoreless pitchers' duel until the Golden Eagles picked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Charleston put runners on first and second with nobody out and Hannah Rose scored on Allysa Lake's ground ball up the middle, before Lindsey Phares' fielder's choice chased home Lindsey Reavis from third.
 
Rose then added a two-run homer to center in the Charleston half to of sixth to increase it to 4-0.
 
McCown did the rest for the Golden Eagles in the circle.  McCown held Pitt-Johnstown hitless and tossed a perfect game with 11 strikeouts to raise her record to 4-0.
 
Hilligsberg pitched well in her collegiate debut for the Mountain Cats and limited the nationally-ranked Golden Eagles to four runs on four hits in six innings.  Hilligsberg struck out a pair and walked six.
 
In game two, neither team could get on the scoreboard until the Mountain Cats struck for three runs in the top of the seventh.  A walk to Julia Mooney and a double from Kayla Miehl put runners on second and third ahead of Brynnae Coe's RBI fielder's choice that gave Pitt-Johnstown the lead. Then, with two outs, Ailah Charles delivered a two-run single that plated Miehl and Coe to make it 3-0.
 
However, the Golden Eagles put runners on second and third off Pitt-Johnstown starter Mia Smith to start the bottom of the seventh and cut it to 3-1 on an Allison Rubal pinch-hit RBI single.  Rose followed with a two-run base hit that knotted it at three, before Lake lined a one-out single up the middle that chased home Kayla Moran to give Charleston the 4-3 walk-off win.
 
Charles' two-run single and Miehl's double accounted for the Mountain Cat hits.
 
Smith, who held the Golden Eagles scoreless on just two hits over the first six innings, surrendered four runs on four hits in the seventh to suffer the loss and slip to 0-1.  Smith also struck out nine and walked five.
 
With the sweep, Charleston is now 6-0.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will compete in the 2024 Spring Games in Winter Haven, Fla. From March 10-15.  The Mountain Cats will make their 2024 home debut with a PSAC Western Division doubleheader against Seton Hill on March 26.