CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Junior Meagan Johnson (Georgetown, S.C/Georgetown (Furman)) hit a solo homerun for the Coastal Carolina's softball team but it was not enough as the Lady Chanticleers (12-13) fell to the #3 California (26-3), 7-1 in the first game of the Carolina Classic on Friday afternoon, Mar. 25.

The game was scoreless for the first three inning as CCU's junior right-hander Brittany Nelson (Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus) and California's Kristina Thorson were locked in a pitcher duel.

The Bearsbroke through with a run in the top of the fourth inning as second baseman Jessica Pamanian hit a tower homerun to right center to give California the early 1-0 lead.

California would add to their lead in the fifth inning as Jule Meyer doubled down the rightfield line to begin the frame. She was sacrificed to second and came  in to score the game second run on the single into left field by rightfielder Emily Friedman. Cal would continue the scoring in the fifth, the big blow being a three-run homerun by centerfielder Kaleo Eldredge to increase the lead to 5-0.

CCU would start to mount a comeback in the bottom of the fifth as junior Meagen Johnson (Georgetown, S.C./Georgetown (Furman)) unloaded on the first pitch and hit a towering homerun to right centerfield as the Lady Chants had now cut the deficit to four at 5-1.

Cal would get the run back in the sixth inning as Jessica Pamanian led off the inning with a single, advanced to third on a throwing error and came in to score on a wild pitch.

The Golden Bears would add a pair of insurance runs in the seventh inning to increase its lead to 8-1.

Nelson took the loss for the Chanticleers as her record drops to 8-4. Thorson raises her record for Cal to 12-2 on the season

Coastal will continue its play in the Carolina Classic with a game tonight against the host school North Carolina at 7:00 p.m.