FINAL: Charleston Battery 2, Riverhounds 1

USL Championship Regular Season Week 5

FINAL: Charleston Battery 2-1 Riverhounds

Live statistics: USLC Match Center

Stream: CBS Sports Golazo Network/KDKA+

Instant Recap

Though the Hounds unexpectedly struck first on Saturday night against the Battery, it would be the hosts who ultimately triumphed in what was surely a disappointing collapse for head coach Bob Lilley to witness once again after too many such nights last season.

The Hounds seemed to have the better of the early portions of the match, pressing and progressing the ball confidently in the first 10-15 minutes. Their momentum was capped by a great chance for Augustine Williams off a rare defensive turnover from Aaron Molloy. The errant ball found Williams at the top of the 18, and the former Battery forward ripped one low and on-target, but parried wide by the keeper.

From there forward, the Battery grew into the game. Cal Jennings was a constant danger for the Hounds back line, first getting a run into the box that forced a corner as Sean Suber backtracked to cover. Jennings would get in again moments later on an strong through-ball from Juan David Torres, but this time it was Illal Osumanu who tracked back to throw Jennings off his run.

Jennings would get a real shot at a goal just after the half-hour mark. A phenomenal cross from Emilio Ycaza on the left wing beat absolutely everyone and ran perfectly into Jennings path behind the defensive line. But Eric Dick was up for the challenge, making the great one-on-one save, and then scrambling across goal to put off the follow-up effort from MD Myers as well.

With the Battery holding all the momentum, it was a shock when the Hounds found the matches first breakthrough. A free kick from the deep left wing saw Robbie Mertz put the ball towards the penalty spot. A weak clearance from the Battery defense saw the ball find the feet of Bradley Sample at the top of the box, and he made no error with his seeing-eye shot into the bottom-right corner to give the Hounds a 1-0 advantage before the break.

But the Battery would get two more huge chances to equalize. The first was a rapid one-time flick towards net from Jennings, with Eric Dick once again making a stunning reflex save to keep things level. He’d cause trouble for himself in stoppage time though, conceding a penalty as he rushed forward to challenge Jennings after a freak deflection left the latter in on net. Luckily for Dick, Jennings would massively sky his ensuing effort, leaving the Hounds lead intact as the two sides entered the locker rooms for the break.

The second half would see the Hounds run of good fortune come to an end, however, as it would be all Battery the rest of the way. With the Hounds on the back foot from the whistle, the Battery pursued their equalizer with fervor – and wouldn’t have to wait long for results.

Just beyond the hour mark, during one of a number of extended pressures in and around the Hounds box, a clever backheel from MD Myers would find Aaron Molloy about twenty yards from goal. Molloy would rip an absolute rocket towards the upper-right corner, which Dick seemed to not track cleanly as it breezed past him and tucked into the netting to level the score. Dick would make up for that moments later, keeping the Battery’s potential lead out of the back of the net on a brilliant free kick on-target from Torres, barely pushing it off the upright and away.

But the hosts wouldn’t need to wait for their next big chance. In the 80th minute, after multiple missed chances all game, Cal Jennings would get his deserved goal on the evening. Once again it was Torres creating for the battery, as he slipped a clean ball through and into the Hounds box right into Jennings path. Jennings fired the low shot across goal to the bottom-left corner and past Dick for what was ultimately the game-winning strike.

While the Hounds pressed forward in a desperate attempt to find an equalizer, it simply wasn’t to be, as the final whistle would sound with that same 2-1 scoreline in favor of the Battery.

For the Hounds, it was a tough night reminiscent of too many dropped-point evenings last season. And the road only gets tougher with a huge number of road matches in the next month and a half, starting with a midweek USOC match against the Columbus Crew 2 this Tuesday evening.

Pre-Match Notes

• Hounds forward Augustine Williams returns to face his former club for the first time since joining Pittsburgh
• Charleston leads the all-time series with 8 wins vs. 6 for the Hounds, plus 10 draws
• The Hounds 2024 season ended in a first-round playoff loss in Charleston, 1-0

Match Updates

Look for reports from Highmark Stadium, including starting lineups and in-game updates here…

1′ – We are underway in Charleston, Hounds in their road whites, Charleston in their home black jerseys.

10′ – A bad turnover by Aaron Molloy in the defensive third winds up at the feet of Auggie Williams just outside the box, he rips a shot that is parried wide for a Hounds corner. Taken by Mertz, and a foul is whistled on Williams.

17′ – Sean Suber does well to win the one-on-one defensive situation after a long ball into the box from the Battery, but concedes a corner in the process. Ensuing back-post in-swinger flies over everybody for an easy goal kick.

19′ – A phenomenal through-ball from Juan David Torres to Cal Jennings, but a great recovery run from Illal Osumanu to put him off and ultimately stop the dangerous run.

25′ – Robbie Mertz lays the ball out wide to Junior Etou in acres of space on the left wing. His cross finds Williams feet from the net, but his one-touch effort goes wide.

32′ – Eric Dick makes a huge save on a 1v1 against Cal Jennings after a stellar ball from the left wing by Yzaca. He’s then able to scramble back across goal to put off the follow-up from Myers, who puts it into the side netting.

40′ – GOAL, RIVERHOUNDS! The second-chance opportunity on the free kick falls to Bradley Sample at the top of the box and he fires one into the bottom-right! Totally against the recent run of play, but the Hounds take the 1-0 advantage!

📸 It's the first goal of the year for @BradS1357, as he takes the contact but makes sure that ⚽️ goes on target!#CHSvPIT #Grittsburgh pic.twitter.com/H6iLURvS4r

— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) April 13, 2025

43′ – Another massive save from Eric Dick. Some lazy defending sees the ball reach Cal Jennings, who flicks it towards net, but the Hounds keeper has the reflexes to parry it away.

45+3′ – A penalty is called. Eric Dick charges out as the deflection falls to Can Jennings in the box and makes contact. It’s light, but he was impeded. Jennings will take it himself… And SKIES it! Miles above the goal, the Hounds maintain their 1-0 lead as the halftime whistle goes!

Haltime – Battery 0-1 Hounds.

46′ – Back underway for half number two with the Hounds holding a fortunate 1-0 advantage.

66′ – Goalscorer Bradley Sample off, good game for him. Aidan O’Toole on in his place. Max Broughton also enters for Auggie Williams on a yellow card.

67′ – Goal, Battery. Aaron Molloy picks the ball up twenty yards out and fires an absolute rocket and Eric Dick appeared to misread the ball’s trajectory as it breezed by. We are level at 1-1.

Torres ➡️ Myers 🔀 Molloy 🎯

What a hit from @aaronmolloy18! pic.twitter.com/84Ar5NhyT4

— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) April 13, 2025

70′ – The Battery nearly find the lead moments later! Eric Dick saves the free kick from Torres off the upright and then barely keeps out the follow-up too!

80′ – Goal, Battery. Jennings finally gets the goal he’s been searching for all night. A through-ball from Torres finds him in the box and he slots it beyond the reach of Dick for the 2-1 lead.

Redemption for Cal Jennings and not a moment too soon!#CHSvPIT | #CB93 pic.twitter.com/UAc3IpR0WI

— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) April 13, 2025

80′ – Three subs for the Hounds after the goal. Jason Bouregy, Jorge Garcia, Pablo Linzoain all on. Beto Ydrach, Illal Osumanu, Robbie Mertz off. Two CBs off for… far less than that, aggressive subs from Lilley.

STARTING LINEUPS:

Colton Coreschi