Softball Drops Two in Day Two of Kickin Chicken Classic
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CONWAY, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina University softball team dropped a pair of contests on day two of the 2009 Kickin' Chicken Classic today, falling to the Black Bears of Maine in their first game of the day 9-0 in five innings. In the second game of the day, the Chants scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to put the winning run on second base, but failed to drive in the tying run, dropping the 4-3 decision.
In game one, bright spots were few and far between for the Chanticleers (1-5), as a seven run fourth inning for Maine (4-4) did them in, sealing the 9-0, five-inning defeat
Junior pitcher Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./ Patuxent) got her first start of the season and was roughed up for nine runs on 10 hits in four innings of work. Three Maine batters had a pair of RBI on the contest in Alexis Soulharis, Kristen Calvetti and Kirsten Allen.
The Chants were only able to manage two hits off of Maine pitcher Cayleigh Montano, who threw a five-inning two hitter to go along with seven strikeouts.
Frederick, still working her way back from off-season surgery, falls to 0-1 with the loss.
In game two, the Chants fell behind 1-0 in the first inning as Mountaineer slugger Katie Boyd Drove in Megan Rembielak for the first run of the contest off starter Katelin Edwards (Greer, S.C./Byrnes)(Newberry)).
In the third inning, the Mountaineers (2-4) tacked on three more runs on only two hits, as the Chanticleer defense would commit three errors in the inning. Sarah Rappe scored the first run of the frame on a Coastal Carolina miscue. Boyd then followed with a double to drive in two more runs to extend the lead to 4-0
In the Coastal Carolina (1-6) half of the third, junior Mecaela Ballard (Groves, Texas/Port Neches Grove)(Galveston)) reached base on a bunt single for the first Chanticleer hit of the contest. With senior Kelsey Riffel (Wichita, Kan./Maize)at the plate, Ballard went on to steal second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Sophomore Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland) would reach on an error by the shortstop, scoring Ballard to bring the deficit to 4-1.
The game then turned into a pitching dual. Edwards would go the next four innings allowing only one hit, while Appalachian State pitcher Ashley Stubbs would allow only two. Stubbs was then pulled in favor of closer Teri Fister in the seventh inning.
Going into the final frame trailing 4-1, the Chanticleers had only three hits on the day, but pinch-hitter Cass Stuart (Colville, Wash./Colville) singled to lead off the seventh of the new Mountaineer hurler. Redshirt freshman Morgan Dodd (Chattanooga, Tenn./Girls Preparatory) then drew a walk, and Ballard singled to load the bases with no outs. Riffel then drew a walk to push across a run to cut the lead to 4-2. Stubbs then re-entered the game to face freshman Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) who also walked with the bases chucked to cut the lead to 4-3. With the bases loaded and still no one out, Evans hit a screamer down the third base line that was snagged by Boyd, who doubled off Ballard at third base to effectively end the contest.
Edwards took the loss to fall to 1-5 on the season after throwing a complete-game six hitter. She allowed four runs, two of them earned, and struck out six Appalachian St. batters. Stubbs earned the win to improve to 1-1 on the season, as she allowed only three hits and one unearned run and struck out eight Chanticleers.
Coastal Carolina will wrap up their Kickin' Chicken Classic slate tomorrow with a pair of games. In game nine of the tournament, the Chants will take on Western Carolina at 11:30 a.m., followed by a rematch of game two of the tourney against the Virginia Tech Hokies at 2 p.m.
