CONWAY, S.C.- Coastal Carolina's softball team (15-13, 2-0 Big South) used a balanced offensive attack to sweep both games of its non-conference doubleheader over Gardner-Webb (5-17) by the scores of 14-3 and 9-1 in two run-ruled five inning games. For the Lady Chants it was their sixth consecutive win and 14th win in the last 15 games.

The first game started slowly for Coastal as the Bulldogs jumped out to 3-0 advantage in the first inning. Junior Abbie Looper led the frame off with a single, stole second, and came into score after the walk to Lindsay Cox, on the single off the bat of sophomore Jessi Williams. Sophomore Haley Schism drove in Cox and Williams with her one out double down the leftfield line.

CCU would cut the deficit to one in the second inning, as junior Danyelle Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) drove in both senior Brittany Nelson (Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus) and junior Kimberly Cillis (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia) with her double to centerfield.

The Lady Chants tied the game in the third, as senior Sara Hostetler (Albuquerque, N.M./Valley) tripled to right center to begin the inning and came in to score on the one-out double down the leftfield line by senior Meagen Johnson (Georgetown, S.C./Georgetown (Furman)).

Coastal put up a five spot in the fourth to take the lead for good. Junior Carla Hood (Marion, S.C./Marion) started the rally with a one-out walk. She moved to second on the bunt single from Danyelle Gerdts and both runners moved up a base as sophomore Ashley Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) singled to load the bases. Senior Kelly Feely (Livermore, Calif./Granada) pinch hit and walked to drive in the go ahead run. A Johnson single up the middle drove in runs five and six as Danyelle Gerdts and Ashley Gerdts scored. Sheppard followed with a double to right center to score Feely and Johnson.

The Lady Chanticleers finished off the run ruled game in the fifth. Danyelle Gerdts reached first on an error from the first baseman and moved to second on the walk to Ashley Gerdts. Danyelle Gerdts advanced to third on a fielder choice and Feely followed with a walk to load the bases. Base loaded walks to Johnson and Sheppard back-to-back, scored Gerdts and Hostetler. A grand slam by Nelson cleared the bases and propelled CCU to its 14-3 win in the first game of the afternoon.

The second game was all Coastal from start as the Lady Chants plated three runs in the first inning. Hostetler opened the game with a single to left center. A pass ball moved her to second and a ground out by Feely moved her to third. She came into score on the sacrifice fly from Johnson. Sheppard followed with a two-out single through the left side. Sheppard moved to second on the walk to Cillis and both came into score on the double to centerfield by redshirt junior Glynn Tolleson (Tomball, Texas/Tomball (Radford)).

CCU added two more runs to its lead in the second. Ashley Gerdts led off the inning with her third home run of the season, Hostetler followed with a double to right center. Hostetler moved to third on the Feely ground out and came into score the fifth run of the game on the Sheppard sacrifice fly.

After the Bulldogs had pushed a run across in the top of the frame, the Lady Chants finished off GWU with four in the third inning. The big hit of the inning was two-out single to rightfield by Cillis that scored Johnson and Hostetler.

Johnson (3-1) was the game one winner for Coastal with four innings of scoreless relief. Johnson also was an offensive star in the doubleheader as she went 3-for-4 with six runs-batted in and two runs scored. Sheppard also had a good offensive day as she was 3-for-4 with five RBI in the two games. Nelson was 2-for-3 in the first game with four runs driven. Redshirt junior Christine Doyle (Rio Rico, Ariz./Immaculate Heart Academy (NJ)) (5-4) was the game two winner for CCU, as she went four innings and only surrendered one run on five hits.

Coastal will next take the field on Wednesday, March 22 in a home doubleheader against North Florida at 3 p.m.