CONWAY, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina softball team hosted the Division II Limestone Saints today, March 17, in a doubleheader from Coastal Carolina Softball field. The Chants dropped a 1-0 decision in game one, but bounced back to defeat the Saints 2-0 in game two.
In the second inning of game one, freshman Stacy Snellings (Richmond, Va./ Godwin) earned the first hit of the ballgame for the Chants, on a triple down the right field line, but was stranded after a Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland) and Alyssa Tornatore (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) pop out to end the inning.
The Saints (7-17) threatened in the third inning with runners of first and second with one out, but starter Ivy McCranie (Nashville, Ga./Berrien) was able to work out of the jam forcing fly outs to shortstop and left field.
In the Limestone fourth, Kayla Hamahlainen reached base on an infield single, and advanced to second on a McCranie wild pitch. The freshman would bounce back nicely, earned three-straight outs and capped it off with a strikeout of Felicia Fritz.
Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/ Deer Park) led off the fourth inning for the Chants with a walk. After a Snellings strikeout, Maples advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kelsey Riffel (Wichita, Kan./Maize) followed with a one out walk to put runners on first and second, but Saint pitcher Kristy Warren worked her way out of the jam to keep the score at 0-0.
Limestone scored the only run of the contest in the fifth, as Saint batter Jordan Smith hit a two out double. The double was promptly followed by a Christina Woolgar RBI single for the first, and only run of the ballgame, giving the Saints the 1-0 lead.
Ashley Pisone (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) started off the inning with a single to the second baseman, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A Dodd sacrifice bunt moved Pisone to third with one out, but the Chants couldn’t push the run across, and headed into the sixth trailing 1-0.
With one out in the sixth, Snellings doubled down the right field line to put the tying run on second base with Riffel at the dish. The senior would draw a walk to bring up Evans who singled to centerfield to load the bases for Tornatore. The junior would fly out to left field to bring up Pisone, who struck out to end the Chanticleer threat.
Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) relieved McCranie in the seventh and retired the side in order.
After Dodd popped out to center, pinch hitter Olivia Williams (Whiteville, N.C./Greensboro) singled to left center. Mecaela Ballard (Groves, Texas/Galveston) re-entered the game and promptly stole second base to put the tying run on second, but the Chants could not push the run across, and fell 1-0.
McCranie (1-2) made her third start of the season for Coastal Carolina, and took the loss after allowing one run on eight hits in six innings of work.
Kristy Witten threw a complete game, six hitter to improve to 5-6 on the season, striking out six Chants along the way.
Snellings was 2-for-3 at the plate, while four other Chanticleers had a hit apiece. Woolgar had two hits in the win for Limestone.
Frederick took the start in game two, and ran into trouble early on. Finding herself in a bases loaded, one out jam, the junior induced Kayla Hamlainen to ground into a double play to end the inning.
In the Limestone half of the fourth, Woolgar reached on an error by Riffel, and Kuykendall followed up with a single to put runners on first and second with none out. Frederick then worked herself out of the jam, striking out the next three Saints in order to end the threat.
Coastal Carolina had five base hits in the first three innings, but didn't cash in until the fourth, when Williams doubled with one out. The next batter, Dodd, was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second for Pisone, who popped out to the pitcher. Ballard followed with an infield single to bring up Birnbaum, who singled down the left field line to score a pair and give the Chants the 2-0 lead.
Frederick (3-4) would settle down with the two run cushion, going on to retire 12 of the next 13 batters she faced, four via strikeout, to pick up her third victory of the year. She allowed five hits and struck out six in the complete game shutout.
Limestone pitcher Emily Wallace drops to 1-11 on the season in the loss. She allowed two runs on eight hits in four innings of work in the losing effort.
The Chants will next be in action Fri., March 20 in the 2009 Big South Conference opener against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. The single game is slated for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
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