Softball Swept By Radford, 8-3, 3-2

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RADFORD, Va.- The Coastal Carolina Softball dropped a pair of matchup’s with the Radfdord Highlanders 8-3 in game one and 3-2 in game two today, April 10 in Radford, Va.

 

In game one, the Chanticleers threatened right off the bat in the top of the first. Sparkplug Mecaela Ballard (Groves, Texas/Galveston) drew a walk to start off the game, followed by a Brittany Birnbaum (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala) sacrifice bunt to move Ballard to second. The next batter, Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland) singled to centerfield and advanced to second on a throw home. However, the threat was ended as Radford hurler Chelsea Kelley earned the final two outs, capping the inning off with a strikeout of Morgan Dodd (Chattanooga, Tenn./Girls Preparatory)

 

The Highlanders would get on the board in the home half of the frame, as Jessica Everhart drove in Sarah Himan, who reached earlier in the inning on a Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) error to give the Highlanders the early 1-0 lead.

 

Radford would tack another run onto it’s lead in the third, as they took advantage of another Coastal Carolina error. Leadoff batter Leigh Godfrey doubled to lead off the inning, and stole third a batter later. The throw got away from Maples who was covering third, allowing Godfrey to score for the 2-0 Highlander lead.

 

In the third, RU leadoff batter Hope Creasy would make it a 3-0 lead with one swing of the bat. The slugger blasted a solo shot off of Coastal Carolina starter Ivy McCranie (Nashville, Ga./Berrien) to extend the advantage.

 

In the Radford fifth, McCranie would allow Godfrey and Kristin Shifflett to reach base before being lifted in favor of reliever Ashley Frederick (Lusby, Md./Patuxent), but not before allowing Godfrey to cross the plate to give RU the 4-0. Frederick would allow an unearned run on Coastal Carolina’s third error of the day, allowing Shifflett to cross home for the 5-0 Radford advantage.

 

Coastal Carolina would get on the board in the sixth, as Ballard led off with a walk. A Birnbaum double to left center would put runners on second and third with none out. The next batter, Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland) ripped a single to centerfield to plate Ballard and give Coastal Carolina it’s first run of the game. Following a Stacy Snellings (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin) to load the bases, Dodd walked to score Coastal Carolina’s second run of the frame. Two batters later, Olivia Williams (Whiteville, N.C./Greensboro College) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score the third run of the inning for the Chanticleer’s and cut the Radford lead 5-3.

 

The preverbal wheels fell off in the bottom half of the inning, as the Highlanders would answer right back with a trio of runs to retake the five run lead, reaching the eventual final score of 8-3.

 

McCranie takes the loss and falls to 1-3. The freshman allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits in four-plus innings of work. Frederick tossed a pair of innings, allowing three runs, two earned, and allowed two hits.

 

Kelley improves to 10-6 on the year with the win, as she allowed three runs on four hits and fanned a trio of Chanticleers.

 

Evans led the way at the plate for Coastal Carolina, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, while Shifflett was 3-for-4, driving in a pair of runs and scoring three.

 

Radford’s (24-11, 7-1) hot hitting carried over into game two, as both Godfrey and Shifflett started the game off with doubles, the latter scoring the first run of the contest. Following the pair of doubles, starter Katelin Edwards (Greer, S.C./Newberry College) surrendered two of walks, and caught some hard luck with a pair of passed balls that two runs scored on. Following the second passed ball, Edwards was lifted in favor of McCranie, who forced Beal to pop out to end the inning.

 

The game then settled into a pitchers duel in the middle innings between McCranie and Kelley both settled in. McCranie retired 10 of the first 12 batters she faced, while Kelley retired seven batters in a row at one point.

 

Coastal Carolina (11-26, 2-6) got on the board in the fifth. After Maples led off with a single, Williams grounded into a double play for the first two outs of the inning. The next batter, Riffel, earned a walk, and was followed by a Ashley Pisone (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) double to score the senior. After Pisone stole third base, Ballard hit a slap single to left field to score Pisone and cut the deficit to 3-2.

 

After McCranie retired the side in order in the sixth, Evans led off the inning with a double off the right field wall to lead off the inning. However, Kelley dug deep, retiring the next two batters via strikeout and forced Maples to ground out to end the inning as well as the threat.

 

Coastal Carolina headed into the seventh trailing 3-2. Williams led off with a pop out to left, but Riffel followed with an infield single to bring Pisone to the dish. Pisone worked the count to 3-2, before striking out swinging for the second out of the inning. Ballard would ground out to the pitcher to end the game with Coastal Carolina’s second loss of the day, 3-2.

 

Edwards falls to 5-16 with the loss, as she allowed three earned runs on two hits in .1 innings of work. McCranie gave Coastal Carolina a shot in the contest, as she threw 5.2 innings of solid relief. The freshman scattered two hits and fanned a trio of Highlanders in the losing effort. Kelley improves to 11-6 on the season with the win, allowing a pair of runs on seven hits and struck out five Chants.

 

Maples was 2-for-3 at the dish in game two for Coastal Carolina, while Godfrey was 2-for-3 with a run score for RU.

 

The two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. from Radford Softball Field.