COLUMBIA, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina University softball squad was in action today in a single game at South Carolina, dropping the contest by a score of 10-2 in six innings.

The defeat was a game where the Chanticleers (11-23) certainly had their chances, but three errors in the field combined with the stranding of nine baserunners led to the loss.

In the home half of the inning, South Carolina got on the board with a pair of runs on the heels of two of Chanticleer fielding miscues, taking the early 2-0 lead. The Chanticleers answered back in the second, as Stacy Snellings (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin) walked to lead off the inning. The next batter, Morgan Dodd (Chattanooga, Tenn./Girls Preparatory), successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error by first baseman Laura Mendes allowed Snellings to score all the way from first base to cut the Gamecocks' lead in half at 2-1.

In the South Carolina (15-16) second, Kaitlin Westfall led off the inning with a base hit to centerfield. After Katelin Edwards (Greer, S.C./Newberry College) fanned Lauren Lackey for the first out of the inning, Kandyce Redondo and Mendes hit back-to-back singles, with Mendes driving in both baserunners for the 4-1 lead. A Kristen Stubblefield triple drove in Mendes to stretch the Gamecock lead to 5-1, and knock out Edwards in favor of Ivy McCranie (Nashville, Ga./Berrien). The freshman gave up an infield hit to Jill Semento, scoring Stubblefield to run the tally to 6-1. The inning ended as McCranie fanned P.J. Fulmer for the third out.  

In the Coastal Carolina third, Brittany Birnbaum (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala) earned the first hit of the contest for the Chants with a two-out single up the middle. However, the senior was stranded at first after Michelle Evans (Upland, Calif./Upland) lined out to short on a diving catch by Semento to end the inning.

Following a Snellings strikeout to lead off the fourth, Dodd would single to centerfield. Dodd was followed by a Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) base hit to left center to put runners on first and second with one out. Olivia Williams (Whiteville, N.C./Greensboro College) followed with Coastal Carolina’s third-straight single of the inning to drive in Dodd from second base to cut the Gamecock lead to 6-2.

Kandyce Redondo led off the USC fourth with a walk, and Adele Voigt reached base on the third Coastal Carolina error of the contest. After a Kristen Stubblefield pop out, Semento put the game out of reach as she blasted her first home run of the season, a three-run shot over the left field fence to run the score to 9-2.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Mendes tripled to right field to put the winning run on third base. The next batter Voigt hit a line drive single off of McCranie’s leg to give the Gamecocks the 10-2, six-inning victory.

Edwards falls to 5-15 with the loss, as she allowed six runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work, while McCranie surrendered four runs, one being earned, on four hits in 3.2 innings. The freshman also managed to mix in three strikeouts. Birnbaum, Dodd and Williams provided the bulk of the offense, as the trio combined for six of Coastal Carolina’s eight hits.

Coastal Carolina will have a quick turnaround, as the team plays host to the UNC Wilmington Seahawks in a single game tomorrow, Wed., April 8 at Coastal Carolina Softball Field. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.