CCU

Softball Ends Season With a Heartbreaking 4-3 Loss to Radford

           

Softball Ends Season With a Heartbreaking 4-3 Loss to Radford

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CONWAY, S.C. – The No. 4 Coastal Carolina softball team fell to the No. 3 Radford Highlanders 4-3 in game nine of the 2007 Big South softball championship presented by Aéropostale on Saturday afternoon.   With the win, Radford improves to 43-26, while the Lady Chants close out their season at 22-34.    Radford moved one across to take the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.  Jennifer Everhart reached as the catcher dropped the ball on the third strike and moved over to third on a double by Cassie Rhodes.  Ashley Taylor was intentionally walked to load the bases.  Everhart came home on a wild pitch.   Radford pushed its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third, plating one runner.  Taylor led the inning off with a single up the middle.  Larissa Williams pinch ran for Taylor and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Himan.  Williams moved up to third on a passed ball and scored as Alex Roderick reached on an error.  Roderick was thrown out at third on the play.   The Highlanders extended their lead to 4-0 as they moved two across in the bottom of the fifth.  Amanda Davidson led the inning off with a walk and moved up to second on a bunt single by Michelle Carlson.  Ashley Carlson advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt.  Davidson scored on a wild pitch and Michelle Carlson advanced to third.  Two batters later, Cassie Rhodes plated Michelle Carlson as she reached on a throwing error by the Coastal pitcher.   Coastal Carolina cut the lead to 4-1 in the top of the sixth as Ashley Gerdts connected on a solo home run off the foul pole in left.   Coastal Carolina cut the lead to 4-3, moving two runners across in the bottom of the second but that would be as close as it would get.  Trish Kretchman led the inning off with a walk Alicia Irwin came in to pinch run and moved up to second on a single Brittany Birnbaum.  Erica Trujillo came in to pinch run for Kretchman and Laicole Walker pinch ran for Birnbaum.  Glynn Tolleson brought in Trujillo and Birnbaum with a double to left center.   With the win the Radford will now play the No. 2 Winthrop in the tournament finals at 3:30pm.    Quotes Radford Coach Mickey Dean “What can I say? Those two outs came down to a drill we do at practice. We finished this game. Now we have finish two more.”   Coastal Carolina Head Coach Jess Dannelly “I hate that we had to lose the game that way. I have to take full credit for the loss today, I made adjustments in the last inning that I should have made much earlier in the game. I am so proud of the way our team played during this tournament and I am truly going to miss this senior class, they were a very special group of girls.”