CCU

Coastal Softball Splits With Brown

       

Coastal Softball Splits With Brown

CONWAY, S.C. - Coastal Carolina split a doubleheader with Brown, Mar. 28, with the Bears winning the first, 7-4, and Coastal getting the nightcap, 3-2. The Lady Chanticleers go to 21-12, while Brown is now 6-11.

In the opener, Coastal errors were very costly, as Brown capitalized on a first-inning error to go up 3-0. CCU got on the board with a single run in the second, but two more errors gave the visiting Bears four more runs and an insurmountable lead. The Lady Chants did score one run in the bottom of the seventh but could not continue the rally and stranded three in the inning. Christine Doyle dropped to 11-6 but did not give up an earned run in the outing.

Brown took the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two more unearned runs for a 2-0 lead. CCU chipped into the lead on senior Holly Lee’s blast over the center field fence, trailing just 2-1. The game was then delayed in the middle of the fifth with a brief downpour. However, when Coastal returned to the field, CCU Head Coach Jess Dannelly expressed displeasure with the umpires’ unwillingness to come out after the rain stopped and was ejected from the game. A fired-up Lady Chants squad immediately tied the game on freshman Sara Hostetler’s RBI triple, driving in senior Amanda DeGrendele.

Coastal earned the win the old-fashioned way in the bottom of the seventh. DeGrendele walked and moved to second on Hostetler’s single to center. Senior Kimberly Josephson moved the pair over with a sacrifice bunt. After a line out and an intentional walk to Lee to load the bases with two down, senior Kelli Julg drove a pitch between shortstop and third base for the game winner. Freshman Brittany Nelson moved to 5-3 with the win, giving up no earned runs and striking out two.

In the opening game, Lee became the program’s career home run leader, as she hit her 38th home run over the right-center field fence, surpassing Sarah Lockett’s previous record of 37. Lee also added to it in the second game, moving her total to 39.

Coastal Carolina is back in action, Tuesday, Apr. 1, at UNC Wilmington in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.