FIRST TIME CAA CHAMPS: Charleston’s Mathis Strikes Out 13 in Two-Hit Shutout for CAA Crown
Dylan Smith
BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY
ELON, N.C. – For the first time in program history, fifth-seeded Charleston hoisted the CAA Softball Championship with a 5-0 shutout against No. 1 seed Hofstra inside Hunt Softball Park on Saturday.
The Cougars became the first No. 5 seed to win the conference tournament en route to their first CAA title. The youngest NCAA Division I head coach, CofC’s Head Coach Maggie Mrowka, became the third coach in league history to secure the CAA softball crown in their first season, joining Georgia State’s Roger Kinkaid (2011) and Hofstra’s Larissa Anderson (2015).
The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Mackenzie Mathis put forth an incredible effort in the circle to help the Cougars to the program’s second all-time conference championship, having won in the Southern Conference in 2005. The sophomore registered a career-high 13 strikeouts in a two-hit, complete-game shutout on Saturday.
Audri Bates went 3-for-3 at the dish and drove in three of the team’s five runs. Halle Cannon went 1-for-1 at the dish with a pair of walks, an RBI and a tally to wrap up her All-Tournament Team performance. She finished with two homers, four RBIs and a trio of runs scored in three games.
Charleston came out strong as Mathis struck out the side in order in the top of the first inning. Bronwyn Conroy continued to swing a hot bat with a leadoff single, also swiping second for her 41
st stolen base of the season. Austy Miller joined the double steal after drawing a one-out walk to put runners second and third. The Cougars loaded the bases and watched Bates deliver a two-run single through the right side to take an early lead.
Mathis continued to dominate early with another pair of punchouts in her second perfect inning of work. CofC’s Leela Langston knocked in Karlee Hughes on a sacrifice fly in the home half of the frame, taking a 3-0 edge.
The Cougars’ ace kept pounding the zone and retired the Pride’s lineup at the dish with at least two strikeouts in her third straight frame. Mathis stranded a pair of runners on base after allowing back-to-back, two-out singles. Following a leadoff walk in the fourth, the sophomore bumped her punchout total to 10 through four innings, getting the next three batters to swing through strike three.
Charleston increased its lead to five with a two-run bottom of the sixth. A Langston leadoff double set up a Cannon RBI base knock to right-center to make it 4-0. Two batters later, Bates laced an RBI single of her own into the outfield, bringing Cannon around to score for a five-run lead.
Mathis retired the final seven batters of the game in order, notably clinching the championship by blowing strike three past the Pride’s final batter for her 13
th of the game.
Hofstra saw their season come to an end on Saturday with a 31-23 overall record. Nicole Cancel, Emma Falen and Lily Yepez put forth stellar outings for the Pride to earn All-Tournament selections.
2026 CAA All-Tournament Team
Mackenzie Mathis, Charleston
Madison Biddle, UNCW
Nicole Cancel, Hofstra
Halle Cannon, Charleston
Bronwyn Conroy, Charleston
Emma Falen, Hofstra
Katelyn Hubley, Campbell
Makayla Huddleston, UNCW
Austy Miller, Charleston
Charlie Montgomery, Campbell
Lily Yepez, Hofstra
Wednesday, May 6
Game 1:
No. 5 Charleston 5, No. 4 Stony Brook 1
Game 2:
No. 3 Campbell 4, No. 6 Elon 3
Game 3:
No. 4 Stony Brook 5, No. 6 Elon 3
Thursday, May 7
Game 4:
No. 5 Charleston 4, No. 1 Hofstra 2
Game 5:
No. 3 Campbell 9, No. 2 UNCW 4
Game 6:
No. 2 UNCW 7, No. 4 Stony Brook 3
Friday, May 8
Game 7:
No. 5 Charleston 6, No. 3 Campbell 0
Game 8:
No. 1 Hofstra 6, No. 2 UNCW 1
Game 9:
No. 1 Hofstra 3, No. 3 Campbell 0
Saturday, May 9
Game 10:
No. 5 Charleston 5, No. 1 Hofstra 0
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