Softball Blanked by Charleston Southern, 8-0 in Five Innings
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CONWAY, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina softball team opened up its 2009 Big South Conference slate this afternoon with an 8-0 five inning loss at the hands of the Charleston Southern Lady Bucs.
Charleston Southern (13-14 ) got on the board early, as Amy Trenkamp doubled to right center and score Megan Lombard who walked to lead the game off. Coastal Carolina starter Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) worked her way out of the potential jam by forcing the next three Lady Bucs to fly out.
In the Charleston Southern half of the third, Trenkamp reached on a one out single. The second baseman would steal second, and scored on a Megan Hall single off the pitcher to give CSU the early 2-0 lead. The next batter, Gail Matsushima, doubled to left center to score Hall to extend the lead to 3-0. Charleston Southern would generate three more runs on the inning on an RBI single by Brittany York and a two RBI double by Kristen Kelleher, stretching the lead to 6-0 lead, and knocking Frederick out of the contest in the process.
Mecaela Ballard (Groves, Texas/Galveston) earned the first hit of the ballgame for Coastal Carolina (13-14) in the third inning on a bunt single. Senior Brittany Birnbaum (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala) followed with a base knock up the middle, but Charleston Southern hurler Jamie Wellons worked her way out of the inning by inducing a Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/ Deer Park) fly out to end the potential threat.
CSU would add two more runs in the fourth off reliever Ivy McCranie (Nashville, Ga./Berrien) as both Lombard and Hall led off the inning with singles. Matshushima would strike again with her second double of the day to drive in both runs and extend the lead to 8-0.
In the Coastal Carolina fourth, Stacy Snellings (Richmond, Va./ Godwin) walked to lead off the inning. Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland) followed with a line drive single down the left field line. Kelsey Riffel (Wichita, Kan./Maize) advanced the runners to second and third, but Wellons worked her way out trouble with her second strikeout of the day to preserve the 8-0 lead and bring the game to its final tally.
Frederick falls to 3-5 with the loss. The junior allowed five hits on five earned runs and struck out one Lady Buc in her 2.1 innings of work.. McCranie threw 2.2 innings, and allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits, while also fanning a batter.
Wellons improves to 9-11 on the season with the complete game shutout. She allowed three hits and struck out a trio of Chanticleers.
Ballard, Birnbaum and Evans accounted for the three Chanticleer hits on the day. For Charleston Soutern, Trenhamp, Hall and Matsushima had a pair of hits a piece.
Charleston Southern will next take the diamond on Tuesday as the Lady Bucs travel to Raleigh, N.C. to take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Coastal Carolina will return to action on Sunday, as it plays host to the College of Charleston Cougars in a doubleheader that was postponed from March 3.The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
