Softball Swept By Monmouth in Doubleheader, 8-1, 6-4
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CONWAY, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina University softball team was in action today March 10, dropping a pair of games to the Monmouth Hawks. The Chants fell 8-1 in the opener and 6-4 in the nightcap.
In game one, the Chanticleers could only muster three hits, as Monmouth pitcher Kristine Sawlsville struck out 11 batters and allowed three hits in the complete-game effort.
Coastal Carolina (5-11) fell behind early, as starter Katelin Edwards (Greer, S.C./Byrnes) surrendered a three-run homer off the bat of Jessica deLong to put the Chants behind the eight-ball 3-0.
Coastal Carolina threatened in the fourth inning as sophomore Brittany Bailey (Nokesville, Va./Shenandoah) had the first hit of the ballgame for Coastal Carolina in the fourth inning with one out. She was followed by a Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/ Deer Park) base hit, but Sawlsville worked her way out her only jam of the game by striking out the next two Chanticleer batters.
In the fifth, Kelsey Riffel (Wichita, Kan./Maize) broke up the bid for the shutout, as she hit her third career home run to left centerfield to run the score to the final tally of 8-1.
With the loss, Edwards fell to 3-9 on the season after giving up seven runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings. Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) relieved Edwards in the second with one out, and struck out four batters on five hits in 4.1 innings.
With the win, Sawsville improves to 2-2 on the season. Along with deLong, Monmouth was led offensively by four players that had two hits apiece.
In game two, the Chanticleers (5-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, as Bailey, Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland) and Stacy Snellings (Richmond, Va./ Godwin) hit back-to-back-to-back singles. Snellings single to centerfield drove in a pair of Chants to give Coastal Carolina the 2-0 lead, and a Riffel single scored Evans to tack on another run for the 3-0 advantage.
The lead was quickly compromised in the Monmouth half of the second, as starter Ivy McCranie (Nashville, Ga./Berrien) surrendered Alexa Ferrara a three-run home run to centerfield to knot the game at 3-3.
deLong would give the Hawks (5-2) a 4-3 advantage in the away half of the third, as she blasted her second home run of the day. This time it was of the solo variety that sailed over the left field fence.
Coastal Carolina would tie the game up in the third, as Snellings walked to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Ashley Pisone (Greesnburg, Pa./Hempfield) doubled to deep centerfield to score Snellings and give Coastal Carolina the 4-3 lead.
Monmouth would pull ahead for good in the fifth inning after Frederick relieved McCranie. A Riffel error put deLong on first, and she promptly stole second. A Jess Nicola double drove in deLong to make the score 5-4. The Chants would never recover, as the Hawks would add a late insurance run in the seventh to put the game at its final count of 6-4.
McCranie (1-1) takes the loss after tossing 4.1 innings and giving up four earned runs on seven hits. Frederick pitched well in relief for the second time on the day, throwing 2.2 innings while allowing three hits and an earned run.
Monmouth hurler Melissa Mehrer improves to 2-0 with the win, after throwing a complete game seven hitter, scattering four hits.
The Chanticleers will have a quick turnaround, as it hosts the USC Upstate Spartans tomorrow, Wed. March 11 in a doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m. from Coastal Carolina Softball Field.
