Softball Splits Opening Two Games at Gamecock Invitational Coastal wins Night Cap, 3-2, over UNC-Greensboro
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COLUMBIA, S.C. - Coastal Carolina University softball team dropped the first game of the day to University of South Carolina, 8-2, but saved their best for the later innings as they outlasted UNC-Greensboro, 3-2 in the extra inning in the second game of the day. Coastal evens its record on the season to 1-1.
Coastal found itself chasing early in the second game as UNC-Greensboro tallied a run in the first inning as junior Gwen Johnson led off the game with a double, advanced to third on a ground out and scored the first run of the game, on a ground out by sophomore Adriane Audley.
CCU would fight back to tie the game up in the bottom of the inning as juniors Katey Allen ( Lewiston, Idaho/Lewiston) and Sara Hostetler (Albuquerque, NM/Valley) walked and singled, respectively to start the inning. A double steal put both runners in scoring position with nobody out. A one out error by the Greensboro shortstop scored Allen and gave junior catcher Kelly Feely (Livermore, CA/Granada) her first RBI of the season.
CCU would take the lead in the bottom of the third inning as single by pitcher Brittany Nelson (Flower Mound, TX/Marcus) brought Allen in for 2-1 Coastal lead. The lead was short lived though, as UNC-Greenboro fought the tie game in the top of the fifth inning when a Johnson double brought junior outfielder Krista Judge home to tie the score at 2 all.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth inning, when Nelson led off the inning with an infield single.
Junior pinch runner Irene Finley (Wilmington, NC/Hoggard) advanced to second and then third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Carla Hood (Marion, SC/Marion) and a ground out to first by Meagan Johnson (Georgetown, SC/Georgetown). This set up the most crucial situation of the game as sophomore Danyelle Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Co./ Air Academy) stepped to the plate. She delivered big by sending a screaming grounder to the Greensboro third base man, Kara Clouser, who saw it trickle under her glove for the winning run, 3-2 CCU.
In the first game of the afternoon Coastal, again saw itself facing an early deficit as South Carolina scored three runs in the second inning when Jessica Josker singled in the first run, scoring sophomore rightfielder Darcy Norem. USC would plated two more runs before the inning was over for a 3-0 lead on double by Meghan Cornett.
Coastal would fight back in the bottom of the third inning, after juniors Allen and Hostetler walked, freshman secondbase man Allison Cantrell (McDonough,GA/Eagle's Landing) then came up with a one out single, to drive in CCU's first run of game. An inning ending double play would squashed Coastal's thoughts of a rally.
South Carolina would get a single run in the 4th inning as a single by McKenna Hughes drove in pinch runner Margaret Person to again make the lead 4-1. CCU again rallied and cut the lead to two in the fifth inning, as Hostetler walked to start the inning and would come in to score on an inning ending double play.
South Carolina took control for good in the sixth inning, as they scored four runs, keyed by a two RBI double by Cornett. Cornett had three hits and an RBI in South Carolina 8-2 win.
Freshman Cantrell had a strong first day for Coastal with two hits and an RBI. Junior Allen also had a solid two game performance with two hits, two walks and three run on the afternoon for CCU.
Next up for the Lady Chants is a pair of games tomorrow in the Gamecock Invitational, Feb. 6, the first game will be against Stephen F. Austin starting at 9 a.m., with a game in the medal round to follow against a to be determined opponent.
