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Softball Drops Two at Carolina Classic against Tennessee and Gardner-Webb

       

Softball Drops Two at Carolina Classic against Tennessee and Gardner-Webb

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Chapel Hill, N.C. –  The Coastal Carolina softball (0-2) opened their regular season Friday, Feb. 9 losing to No. 2 ranked Tennessee (1-0) 8-0 and Gardner-Webb 5-1 on a very chilly day one at the Carolina Classic being hosted by North Carolina in Chapel Hill N.C.   Getting the start on the mound in game one for the Lady Chanticleers was senior Danyelle Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy). Gerdts threw for two innings before freshman Brittney Hollifield (Rockford, Tenn./Alcoa) took over for  the remainder of the game.   The Chants were up against All-American pitcher Monica Abbott who pitched all five innings permitted only a bunt single by senior Kristina Sheppard (Galveston, Texas/Ball) in the second inning and struck out 13 Coastal batters. The Vols took an early lead when they went up by thee runs in the bottom of the first on two hits and an error.  UT added two more runs to its tally in the second as Tiffany Huff's single ricocheted hard off Gerdts' chest, allowed a Tennessee’s left-fielder India Chiles to cross for a five-run advantage. With one out in the third, the Volunteers took a 6-0 lead after a solo home-run off Chanticleer pitcher Hollifield. To end the inning the Lady Vols took a demanding 8-0 lead. A lead-off walk permitted to Trujillo in the top of the fifth, but it meant little as Abbott struck out the  remaining Coastal batters and closed out the victory for the Tennessee.   In the second match up with the Lady Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb the Lady Chants were down very early after the Bulldogs scored three runs in the top of the first inning off three hits by Gardner-Webb’s Emily Sherrill and Mandy Ward bringing the score to 3-0.   Starting on the mound was freshman Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) who pitched for four innings and finished with four strikeouts.   The Bulldogs went up 5-0 after they plated two more runs in the top of the fourth before senior Kimberly Cillis (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia) hit the first Coastal home-run of the season to bring the score to 5-1. The Cillis home-run was the second of her career. Finishing the game as pitcher was senior Trish Kretchman (Berrien Springs, Mich./Lakeshore) who threw for the last two innings, but Kretchman and the rest of the Lady Chants could never make up the difference and the score remained at 5-1.   Coastal will return to action in the tournament on Saturday (Feb.10) at 12:30 p.m. when they take on Ohio University.