Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Softball Drops Two Against James Madison

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CONWAY, S.C. -- The Coastal Carolina University softball team dropped a doubleheader with James Madison, 6-1 and 5-4, Mar. 10. With the losses, the Lady Chanticleers fell to 5-17 on the season, while the Dukes improved to 11-8.   In game one, the Dukes took a 1-0 lead when Katie George reached first on a Chanticleer error, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and was brought home with a single to left field.   The Dukes increased the lead to 4-0 in the third off a Jenn Chavez two-run homerun. Coastal brought the score to 4-1 in the following inning when junior Allison Cantrell (McDonough, Ga./Eagle’s Landing) hit a homerun over the left field fence. The homerun was Cantrell’s third of the season.   James Madison closed out the scoring in the fifth, scoring two runs off three hits and one Chant error.   Freshman Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) took the loss in the circle. Frederick threw in all seven innings, gave up 13 hits, two earned runs, and struck out five batters. Frederick fell to 2-7 on the season.   Senior Danyelle Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) went 1-for-3 in the contest. Cantrell was also 1-for-3 with one homerun and freshman Laicole Walker (Wichita, Kan./Wichita Collegiate School) was 1-for-2 at the plate.   The second game had four scoreless innings. The first hit of the game was from JMU’s Kaitlyn Wernsing in the third with a shot through the left side.   In the fifth, the Dukes took the lead with a homer from Amber Kirk that was followed by a double from Lauren Mernin. The Dukes then loaded the bases with a bunt, and two walks. Jenn Chavez then doubled through the right side to score two runners. JMU ended the inning with four runs and four hits on top of the Lady Chants 4-0.   The Dukes increased their lead in the sixth with a Amber Kirk homerun that brought the score to 5-0.   CCU opened their last at bat with a triple from Cantrell that was hit down the right line. Kimberly Cillis (Magnolia, Texs/Magnolia) recorded her fifth RBI with a shot down the left side that sent Cantrell home. Kelsey Riffel (Wichita, Kan./Maize) pinch ran for Cillis. Ashley Gerdts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) saw her first playing time of the season when she came in to pinch hit. Ashley Gerdts reached first on a walk and then was replaced by Alicia Irwin (Salina, Kan./Salina South).  Carla Hood (Marion, S.C./Marion) stepped into the box with two runners on and jacked a shot over the left field fence. The Hood homerun was her second of the season and brought the Chants within one, but the JMU defense held on getting the final out of the game and the 5-4 victory.   Danyelle Gerdts took the loss, falling to 1-7 on the season. Gerdts threw for 5.1 innings, gave up seven hits, five earned runs and struck out five JMU Dukes.   Both teams will be back in action on Sunday, Mar. 11 at Noon on the CCU Softball field.