Softball Falls to Liberty, 8-1
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Conway, S.C.- The Coastal Carolina softball team dropped a single game matchup with the Liberty Lady Flames this evening, Fri., May 1 at Coastal Carolina Softball Field, 8-1. Liberty used three home runs and 11 hits to aid the victory.
The Flames (20-33, 8-8) got off to a fast start in the top of the first, as J'Nae Jefferson singled with one out off of Coastal Carolina starter Ivy McCranie (Nashville, Ga./Berrien). The following batter, Kelly Strickland, doubled to left field to drive in Jefferson and push the score to 1-0. After walking the next batter, the Lady Flames put together a pair of RBI singles for another two runs to push the lead to 3-0.
Stacy Snellings (Richmond, Va./Mills E. Godwin) led off the Coastal Carolina (15-34, 4-12) second, reaching base by getting hit by a pitch. Sarah Maples (Pasadena, Texas/Deer Park) followed with a bunt single back to the pitcher to put runners on first and second with no outs. A sacrifice bunt by Morgan Dodd (Chattanooga, Tenn./Girls Preparatory) advanced the pair a base, and Olivia Williams (Whiteville, N.C./Greensboro College) singled up the middle to score Snellings for the first Chanticleer run of the contest and cut the lead to 3-1.
Following a rough first inning, McCranie went on to retire nine of the next 10 batters she faced in order.
Coastal Carolina threatened in the fourth, as Snellings roped her 10th double of the season to left centerfield with one out. However, the freshman was stranded at second as Sarah Ellis retired Maples via a popout, and fanned Dodd to end the threat.
After Cassie Hendrix led off the fifth with a single, and Liberty tacked on a pair of runs with one swing of the bat in the away half of the frame, as Strickland blasted a home run over the left field fence to bring the Lady Flame lead to 5-1. Four batters later, Liberty added another run on a Keely McMillon RBI single to stretch the advantage to 6-1.
The Lady Flames posted a pair of insurance runs in the seventh, as Strickland hit her second homer of the contest to the same spot as her first dinger to run the tally to 7-1. The very next batter, Beth Bennett, hit a shot over the left field fence to bring the score the eventual final tally of 8-1.
Ellis takes the win, and improves to 12-21 in the complete-game five-hitter. She allowed one run and fanned seven Chants.
McCranie falls to 3-8 in the loss. The freshman threw 6.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and eight earned runs. He undoing was the three LU homers and a pair of walks. Katelin Edwards (Greer, S.C./Newberry College) threw .2 innings upon relieving McCranie in the seventh, and allowed a hit, walk, and struck out a batter.
The teams return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. to conclude the series. Prior to game one, Coastal Carolina will honor seniors Brittany Birnbaum and Kelsey Riffel on Senior Day. Following game one, the Chants will bid farewell to long-time Head Coach Jess Dannelly, who will be coaching his final home game after 22 seasons at the helm of the Coastal Carolina program.
