CCU

Coastal Captures Big South Regular Season Title

       

Coastal Captures Big South Regular Season Title

Lee, Pitchers lead sweep of Winthrop to secure top seed for BSC Tournament

CONWAY, S.C. - Coastal Carolina wrapped up its sixth Big South Conference regular season title, including five of the last six years, with a doubleheader sweep of Winthrop, Apr. 27. The Lady Chants won both games by a score of 8-0 in five innings to secure the top seed for the upcoming Big South Conference Tournament, May 8-10 in Rock Hill, SC. By locking in the top seed for the 2003 Big South Tournament, Coastal has earned a first-round bye. The Lady Chanticleers are now 33-14 and finish 8-2 in the Big South, while the Eagles drop to 23-29 and 3-7 in the league.

There were two definitive stories in this doubleheader, the first being senior Holly Lee. The outfielder from Darlington, S.C. had a career day in her final regular season Big South action, belting a school-record four home runs in the doubleheader, two in each game, finishing 5-for-6 with four runs scored and 10 RBIs. Lee had two-run home runs in her first at-bat in each contest to give Coastal 2-0 leads it would never relinquish. Her first home run in the second game went 284 feet over the softball and tennis court fences and she followed it up with a line shot home run over the left field fence her next time up. Lee also tied the school record for single-season home runs, wrapping the game up with 15 homers. Lee also has become the first player in Big South history to hit 40 career home runs, currently with 44.

The pitching staff was the other part of the story for the Lady Chanticleers. Freshman Christine Doyle became the Coastal Carolina pitcher in history to ever throw a perfect game, as she mowed down all 15 Winthrop batters in the opener, including five strikeouts. Doyle moved to 17-7 on the year, tying the seventh-best single-season mark in the program’s history. Freshman Brittany Nelson followed with a solid pitching performance of her own in the nightcap, giving up just one hit and one walk, while striking out two, and going to 8-4.

Coastal pounded out 19 hits in the two games and has increased its team batting average 24 points over the last 15 games, going 13-2 over that time frame. Coastal’s 33 wins this season are the most since 2000, and CCU has secured its highest winning percentage since the 1994 team went 44-15. .

The Lady Chanticleers will wrap up the regular season, Wed., Apr. 30, hosting #15 South Carolina. The doubleheader, including CCU Senior Day Ceremonies prior to the first game, will start at 4 p.m.