Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From UNC Wilmington Lady Chanticleers follow up 1-0 win in opener with 4-3 victory in eight innings
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CONWAY, S.C. - Coastal Carolina's softball squad swept a pair of games from visiting UNC Wilmington, earning a 1-0 win in the first game and following it with a 4-3 victory in eight innings in the nightcap, Mar. 31. With the wins, Coastal moves to 17-14 on the season, while the Seahawks drop to 18-25 overall.
In the first game, pitching dominated the game, as the two teams combined for just six hits. The only run of the game occurred in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Kimberly Cillis (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia) led off the inning with a single through the left side. After a groundout and junior Kelly Feely's (Livermore, Calif./Granada) single put runners on first and second. Freshman Ashley Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) then doubled to left center to score junior Brittany Nelson (Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus) and put the Lady Chanticleers up 1-0.
As the starting pitcher, Nelson made the run stand up for the win, giving up just one hit and one walk, while striking out eight. The junior righthander moved to 10-4 on the year with the win, while Jennifer Bosley took the loss for the Seahawks, giving up just one run on five hits in the game.
The nightcap had more offensive action in it. Coastal got on the board in the bottom of the first, as senior Delane Grainger (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral (Phoenix College)) led off with single. After advancing to third on a pair of outs, Cillis blasted her first collegiate home run over the left field fence to make it a 2-0 CCU lead.
The Lady Chants added another run in the bottom of the fifth. With two out, Feely singled to center field. Sophomore Danyelle Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) pinch ran for Feely and scored on sophomore Carla Hood's (Marion, S.C./Marion) double to left center to make the lead 3-0 Coastal.
UNC Wilmington knotted it up in the top of the sixth inning. Krista Searle led off the inning with a home run to center field. With two down, Jamie Gostyla singled down the right field line and it was followed up by Jamie Sanders' double down the left field line to put Seahawks on second and third. Kelli Adcox then came up with a single down the left field line to score both Gostyla and Sanders and tie the game at three.
With the international tiebreaker starting in the eighth, Coastal got out of the jam defensively in the top of the inning and then worked to make things happen in the bottom of the inning. With Grainger on second, Coastal advanced her to third on a groundout. With two down, Cillis drew an intentional walk and Nelson then hit a two-strike single over the third baseman's head and score Grainger for the win.
Nelson picked up her second win of the day, going 2 1/3 innings in relief and giving up just one hit while striking out one to go to 11-4. Gostyla took the loss after going 7 2/3 innings, giving up eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Coastal will return to the field Sun., Apr. 3, hosting Big South Conference foe Birmingham-Southern for a doubleheader at 2 p.m.
