CCU struck first as sophomore Kristina Sheppard (Galveston, Texas, Ball) led off the second inning with a triple and would come home to score on freshman’s Ashley Gerdts’ (Colorado Springs/Colo./Air Academy) single up the middle for the early 1-0 lead.

In the third inning the Lady Chanticleers exploded for four runs as junior Sara Hostetler (Albuquerque, N.M./Valley) led off the frame with a single. After junior catcher Kelly Feely (Livermore, Calif./Granada) and junior pitcher Danyelle Gerdts (Colorado Springs/Colo./Air Academy) walked to load the bases, Nelson came up with the big blow of the inning, crushing a ball to straight away centerfield for a grand slam and a 5-0 Coastal lead.

Garder-Webb would make a bit of a comeback in the fifth inning as sophomore Pam Parker walked, freshman Joanna Ward singled and Kelly Lindsey walked to load the bases with two outs. Senior Rachel Riopel followed with a bases clearing double down the leftfield line to make the score 5-3.

Coastal finished the game off in the bottom of the fifth inning as Sheppard singled, Lynee Hastings (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) walked and. Ashley Gerdts singled up the middle to load the bases with one out. Senior Delane Grainger (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral (Phoenix College) hit into a fielder choice to drive in the first run of the inning, as Sheppard beat the throw home to keep the bases loaded. Freshman Allison Cantrell (McDonough, Ga./Eagle’s Landing) singled to the shortstop to drive in the second run. Hostetler’s fielders choice score the third run of the frame. Feely reached on a throwing error from third base to score two more runs. A Nelson single up the middle scored the 11th run in CCU’s run rule shortened game.

Danyelle Gerdts earned her second win of the season, going all five innings for the Chanticleers. The loss fell to Andrea Lewis, who dropped to 0-2 on the season.

In the first game of the afternoon Coastal was defeated by Gardner-Webb 2-1. All the scoring for the game was done in the first inning. Gardner-Webb started the scoring off as sophomore Abbie Looper tripled to open the game and came into score on a double by freshman Kelly Lindsey. A single by Christie Barlow down the rightfield line scored the second run of the inning.

Coastal got its run in the first as Hostetler singled to right center, Feely singled to right field as a fielding error by the Gardner-Webb rightfielder plated CCU’s only run of the game.

The loss fell to Nelson who saw her record fall to 7-3 on the season. The win went to Sara Reichert, who raises her record to 8-7 this year.

Coastal will next take the field on Thursday, Mar. 17, as it travels to Buies Creek, N.C., to take on Campbell University in a doubleheader.