Troy, Ala. – The Coastal Carolina softball team (28-12) dropped both contests to the Troy Trojans (28-9-1) in Troy, Ala., on Thursday, suffering a 9-0 shutout loss in game one and falling 8-7 in game two of the doubleheader.
Game 1: Troy 9, Coastal 0 (6 innings)
The Trojans hit the ground running in the bottom of the first inning after two walks, a wild pitch, and a Coastal fielding miscue allowed two runners to cross home plate to put Troy up 2-0. The Trojans scored one more run in the inning after a walk put a runner on first and an RBI double to left-center field by Kelly Horne gave Troy a 3-0 lead.
It was a battle of the pitchers in the next two innings, with
Nicolette Picone pitching back-to-back 1-2-3 innings while Troy's Leanna Johnson held the Chants scoreless, striking out two hitters to keep the score at 3-0.
Troy added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Kennedi Gaton crushed an RBI single to right-center field to put the Trojans up 4-0.
The Trojans went full steam ahead in the bottom of the fifth inning after three consecutive singles loaded the bases. A lapse in concentration allowed Troy's Jade Sinness to reach home on a wild pitch to make the score 5-0. Horne then stepped up to the plate and smashed a two-run single to left field to extend the Trojans' lead to 7-0.
Troy put the game to bed in the bottom of the sixth inning when Taylor McKinney hammered a walk-off two-run home run over the left-field wall to give the Trojans a 9-0 victory.
Raelee Brabham fell to 10-5 with the loss after giving up three runs, three walks, and one hit-by-pitch in her 0.2 innings of work in the circle.
Game 2: Troy 8, Coastal 7
CCU got off to a quick start in the top of the first inning when
Diamond Williams belted a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game to give the Chants a 1-0 lead.
Troy answered right back in the bottom of the first inning when an out at first base allowed D'Aun Riggs to reach home to level the score at 1-1. The Trojans took the lead after Anslee Finch struck a two-run double to right-center field to push Troy out in front at 3-1.
The runs kept coming for the Trojans after two singles up the middle from Horne and Katelynn de Leon each drove in an RBI to put Troy up 5-1. The next hitter, Riggs drilled an RBI double to left field to extend Troy's lead to 6-1 to end the first inning.
The Chants kicked off the top of the second inning with back-to-back singles from
Maddy Jennings and
Keirstin Roose to put runners on first and second base. A fielding miscue from Troy's second baseman allowed Jennings to reach home to make the score 6-2. Coastal held on to this momentum when Roose stole home while
Abbey Montoya was being caught in a run down at second base to narrow the gap to 6-3.
The comeback was well and truly on in the top of the fourth inning when a hit-by-pitch and a fielding error put two runners in scoring position. Senior
Indya Smith then stepped up to the plate and blasted a two-run single to right field to thin the deficit to 6-5. The Chants continued to apply pressure on the Trojans when
Delaney Keith ripped an RBI double to right field to tie the game at 6-6.
Troy regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when McKinney hit a sacrifice fly deep into center field to score Natalie Turner from third base to make the score 7-6.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Trojans notched an insurance run after Libby Baker sent a leadoff home run flying over the left-field wall to put Troy up 8-6.
The Chants got one run back in the top of the sixth inning when Williams crushed her second home run of the day over the center-field wall to make the score 8-7 but it was not enough to complete the comeback win.
Braham (10-6) picked up her second loss of the day after giving up two runs while recording two strikeouts in her 5.2 innings of work in the circle.
The Chanticleers will be back in action tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET for the final game of the three-game SBC series.
For complete coverage of CCU softball, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalSoftball (Twitter), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), and facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.
