Box Score Softball Defeats Visiting Elon, 8-2

Second Game of Doubleheader Rained Out

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COASTAL SOFTBALL EARNS WIN OVER ELON, 8-2 Second Game of Doubleheader Rained Out   CONWAY, SC – Coastal Carolina’s softball team earned a resounding 8-2 win over visiting Elon, Sun., Feb. 27. The second game of the doubleheader was cancelled due to rain. CCU advanced to 7-7 overall, while the Phoenix fell to 7-7.   Elon got on the board first in the top of the third inning. Jessica Swearengin singled to right field and advanced to second on a ground out. When Sadie Ball flew out to right field, Swearengin advanced to third and scored after CCU committed a throwing error on the play to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead.   Coastal posted an immediate answer in the bottom half of the inning, doing it all with two out in the inning. Freshman Allison Cantrell hit a line shot that got through the infield on a bad hop and ended up at third with a triple. Junior Sara Hostetler then doubled to right center to score Cantrell and knot the game at one. Junior Brittany Nelson, the CCU starting pitcher, helped out her own cause by homering to left center and giving the Lady Chanticleers a 3-1 lead.   CCU then blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Danyelle Gerdts doubled to right center to open the inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved Gerdts to third, senior Delane Grainger walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Katey Allen’s grounder to second was mishandled and Gerdts scored to make it 4-1 Coastal with two on. After Cantrell walked, Hostetler put the game out of reach with her first collegiate grand slam to straight away center field and give the Lady Chants an 8-1 lead.   Elon managed to scratch out a run in the top of the seventh, as Nicole Ellis’ sacrifice fly with the bases loaded scored Megan Boorgaard. However, the bases loaded threat ended on a ground out to finish the game.   Hostetler led the Coastal attack, going 2-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored and a home run. Cantrell was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, while Nelson was 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored. Nelson also went a complete seven innings, giving up just four hits and one earned run, while striking out five to move to 5-1 on the year.  Meredith Gay took the loss after giving up six hits and seven runs, four of them unearned, dropping to 2-3.   Coastal takes the next week off and returns to play, Tue., Mar. 8, hosting the College of Charleston for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.