Softball Earns Sweep of Two Home Games Lady Chants defeat Appalachian State and St. John's In First Home Games
Appalachian State Box Score
St. John's Box Score
CONWAY, SC – The Coastal Carolina University softball team opened the home portion of its schedule with a sweep of two games on the opening day of the CCU Softball Triple Play Weekend. Coastal defeated Appalachian State, 2-1, in the opener and then followed it with a 1-0 victory over St. John's. In the middle game, St. John's defeated Appalachian State, 7-1. CCU is now 5-6, Appalachian State is 3-9 and St. John's is 1-1 in its first action of the year.
Coastal and Appalachian each were held scoreless through the first four-and-a-half innings. In the bottom of the fifth, CCU got on the scoreboard and made it all happen with two outs. Katey Allen tripled down the right field line. After Allison Cantrell earned a walk, Sara Hostetler hit a shot into deep shortstop that she out ran, scoring Allen and putting the Lady Chanticleers up 1-0.
The Mountaineers evened it up in the top of the sixth, as Mary Lutz doubled down the left field line with one down and Natalie Willis drove her in with a single to center field. However, the threat ended there, as CCU pitcher Brittany Nelson got the next two Appalachian batters out to keep the game tied at one.
Coastal manufactured the game winner in the bottom of the seventh. Allen singled down the left field line. Cantrell got another walk and Hostetler loaded the bases with a single to left center. After an infield fly out made it two away, Jennifer Hurley's delivery sailed over the catcher's head and Allen scampered home with the game winner.
Nelson moved to 3-1 on the year, as she gave up just three hits, while striking out seven and walking one. Hurley got the loss after striking out 10 but giving up six hits and three walks. Hostetler went 3-for-4 with one RBI for the Lady Chanticleers, while Allen was 2-for-4 and scored both Coastal runs.
Against the Red Storm, pitchers Christine Doyle of Coastal and Kimberly Lerch of St. John's went at it early on, as both teams were held scoreless in the first three and a half innings, even though St. John's had a threat ended in the first inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Coastal opened with inning with Allison Cantrell getting a single to right center. Sara Hostetler laid down the sacrifice bunt on the next at bat, but the Red Storm tried to get Cantrell as the lead runner and Cantrell legged it out to give CCU runners on first and second with nobody out. After Doyle's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, Danyelle Gerdts singled up the middle to score Cantrell and give Coastal a 1-0 lead.
Doyle would make that stand, giving up just one hit in the final three innings and stranding two runners. The sophomore would pick up her first win of the season, going the full seven innings, striking out five while walking just one and scattering three hits. Lerch took the loss after giving up just three hits, striking out one and walking one.
Tomorrow concludes the weekend event with three more games. Appalachian State and St. John's will meet at noon, followed by Coastal and St. John's at 2 p.m. The Lady Chants and Mountaineers will conclude the event at 4 p.m.
