CCU

Softball Defeated By UNC Wilmington 7-4

       

Softball Defeated By UNC Wilmington 7-4

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CONWAY, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina University softball team was in action for the second day in a row today, Weds., April 8 against the UNC Wilmington Seahawks. UNCW used a trio of home runs to secure an early 7-0 lead, and never looked back, taking the contest by a 7-2 tally.

 

UNC Wilmington (7-23) got on the board first, as slugger Carley Hughes hit a two-out solo shot that cleared the left field fence for the first run of the ballgame off of Coastal Carolina hurler Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./Patuxent). Rachel Sawyer followed with a double to right field, and scored two pitches later on a groundball off the bat of Alison Lanouette that was misplayed by shortstop Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park), allowing the second run of the inning to score and give UNCW the 2-0 lead.

 

Maples would make up for her fielding miscue in the home half of the second, as she singled to left centerfield with two outs, but a Olivia Williams (Whiteville, N.C./Greensboro College) strikeout ended the potential Chanticleer threat.

 

Coastal Carolina (11-24) looked to build a threat in the third, as Alyssa Tornatore (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) walked to start off the frame. After consecutive outs, Brittany Birnbaum (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala) drew the second free pass of the inning off of Seahawk hurler Samantha Lisowsky to put runners at the corners for Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland). However, Lisowsky would work her way out of the jam, as she forced Evans to ground out to end the inning.

 

The Seahawks tacked on three insurance runs with one swing of the bat in the fourth, as a pair of runners reached on a walk followed by a single. The next batter, Kelsey Eddinger, hit the third UNCW home run of the contest, a three-run shot over the right field fence to extend the lead to 7-0.

 

The Chanticleers looked to get on the board in the fourth, and were off to a good start as Stacy Snellings (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin) and Morgan Dodd (Chattanooga, Tenn./Girls Preparatory) walked to lead off the inning. After a Maples sacrifice that advanced the runners, Lisowsky forced Williams to pop out, and struck out Tornatore to end the inning.

 

The Chanticleers got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, as senior Kelsey Riffel (Wichita, Kan./Maize) led off with a single off the pitcher's glove. The next two batters, Mecaela Ballard (Groves, Texas/Galveston) and Brittany Birnbaum (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala) both reached base safely to load the bases for Evans. The California native would drive in Riffel via a fielders choice to score the first Coastal Carolina run. Two batters later, catcher Morgan Dodd (Chattanooga, Tenn./Girls Preparatory) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Ballard for the second run of the frame and bring the Chants within five runs of the lead.

 

The Chanticleers looked to be mounting a comeback in the final frame, as Evans cut the lead to 7-3 with one swing of the bat in the home half of the seventh. She ripped her third home run of the season, one of the solo variety, over the left centerfield fence. A batter later, Dodd singled, and was followed by a Maples double, putting runners on second and third with one out. Williams then drove in Dodd on a fielders choice for the final run of the contest for Coastal Carolina, as Maples was cut down at third base and Ashley Pisone (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) struck out to end the contest.

 

With Chanticleer starter Ashley Frederick getting knocked out of the game with one out in the third, Ivy McCranie (Nashville, Ga./Berrien) threw 3.2 innings of solid relief for the second day in a row. The freshman allowed only three hits and struck out four Seahawks. Frederick falls to 5-7 with the loss, as she allowed seven runs on six hits in 3.1 innings.

 

Samantha Lisowsky improves to 5-7 on the year with the win, as she threw 6-1 innings of eight-hit ball, and allowed four runs. Jennifer Ladd finished off the game for the Seahawks as she threw .2 innings of scoreless relief.

 

Both Maples and Riffel had a pair of hits for Coastal Carolina in the loss.

 

Coastal Carolina will next travel to Radford for a Friday doubleheader against the Highlanders at 2 p.m. in Radford, Va. The Friday twinbill will be followed up by a single game on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.