The Charleston Battery claimed their seventh consecutive victory in the USL Championship on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 victory against Detroit City FC at Keyworth Stadium as Cal Jennings struck twice and Juan David Torres provided a goal and assist for the visitors.

Detroit took an early lead through Jay Chapman in the second minute only for Jennings to head the Battery level three minutes later off a cross by Torres. Jennings then bagged his second of the game a minute before halftime before Torres completed the scoring in the 52nd minute with a curling shot from outside the penalty area.

Here are three things we took away from the contest.

1. Cal Jennings can’t currently be contained

You don’t build the resume Cal Jennings has in the USL Championship without being an outstanding finisher, but the heater the 28-year-old is on currently might be the best we’ve ever seen from him, and that’s saying a lot. Jennings’ second consecutive two-goal outing flipped the Battery round after going behind inside the opening two minutes and again illustrated why you can’t leave him unattended for a second. His beautifully executed header was followed by the final piece of a great sequence by the Battery that took advantage of a misstep in Detroit’s press which allowed the visitors to cut through them via Juan David Torres and MD Myers before Jennings’ left-footed finish.

Jennings has now equaled both Solomon Asanté (Phoenix Rising FC, 2019) and Leo Fernandes (Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2022) in putting together a nine-game streak with goal contributions in the Championship’s regular season. He’s also bagged 11 goals in 10 appearances overall this season to move clear in the Golden Boot race, the tip of the best attack in the league so far this season. With seven consecutive victories and 21 goals in that span, the Battery are soaring to new heights at the moment, with Jennings being complimented perfectly by his surroundings.

2. Juan David Torres is a talent, but he does the work

As it can with a playmaker like Juan David Torres, you can look at his highlights on Saturday and see why he’s become a key player for the Battery since joining them prior to the 2024 season. The Colombian’s delivery for Jennings’ opening goal was beautiful as he moved level with Loudoun United’s Florian Valot and North Carolina FC’s Mikey Maldonado for the league’s assists lead with his fifth this season, and he added another fine strike from outside the box to tack on the Battery’s third of the game.

But what stands out as well with Torres is his ability and willingness to make the game come to him. On a possession-oriented team like the Battery, you’d usually expect the likes of Aaron Molloy or one of the side’s center backs to have the most touches in the game. Not on Saturday, where Torres was all over the field, recording a team-high 82 touches and 60 passes and ranked second to Molloy in completed passes (46) and recoveries (8). That’s the part of his game that is equally as vital for Charleston as his contributions in the final third, and part of why this side is flying as high as it is right now.

3. Le Rouge’s fast start ended up a step slow

Detroit City couldn’t have made a better start to Saturday’s game than scoring after just 92 seconds as Jay Chapman flicked in an excellent corner kick by Ben Morris, but for much of the remainder of the contest the hosts looked a step off the pace of the Battery which ended up making a comeback unlikely after the visitors took a two-goal lead seven minutes into the second half. The Battery won the battles in midfield, winning 52.4 percent of duels and 15 of 18 tackles while recording 16 interceptions to Detroit’s 10.

What’s more, the Battery found it easier to move in Detroit’s half than the hosts did when they got on the front foot. Charleston completed 7 of 11 dribbles, led by MD Myers and Juan David Torres completing two apiece, and were decisive in the final third, completing 62.4 percent of their passes. By contrast, Le Rouge completed only 4 of 16 dribbles and while they had twice as many touches in the penalty area as the Battery, it resulted in only two shots on target. After three consecutive league draws, this was a notable setback as the side lost for the first time and home this season and for the first time after scoring first since last June.