April 10, 2011
Box Score
CONWAY - An eight run sixth inning was capped by a Jessie Winans game-ending grand slam as the Coastal Carolina softball team downed Winthrop 8-0 on Sunday afternoon.
Coastal Carolina improves to 16-22 (2-3 Big South) as Winthrop falls to 12-24 (2-6 Big South).
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, catcher Chelsea Pineda singled up the middle to get things rolling for the Chants. Courtney Howell was then inserted to pinch run and stole second on the next pitch. Michelle Evans subsequently lined an infield single to short to advance Howell to third. Jazmin Daigle, who had three RBIs on Saturday, was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sarah Maples then roped the first pitch of her at bat to the warning track in left field to bring home two runs.
Cacia Pierre kept the inning going with a single through the right side to pick up her lone hit of the afternoon. With one swing of the bat, Stacy Snellings opened the Coastal advantage to four runs with a two RBI single to right field. Once again, Coastal loaded the bases in the inning after Olivia Piccirillo was hit by a pitch and Brooke Donovan walked. Winans then stepped to the plate and drilled the game-ending grand slam over the right-center field fence. The shot was both the second homerun and second grand slam of the freshman's young career.
In the second inning the Chants used back-to-back one out singles by Daigle and Maples to put runners on. After an illegal pitch to advance the runners, Pierre reached base on a fielder's choice that saw Winthrop cut down the lead runner at the plate. With the bases full of Chanticleers, Withrop's Chelsey Schoenfeldt was able to get Piccirillo to hit a grounder to shortstop to escape the inning without any damage on the scoreboard.
The first inning saw Winthrop tag Chanticleers starting pitcher Michelle Evans with three singles. However, Evans' teammates were there to pick her up and get out of the inning without allowing a run.
Evans went two innings in the circle for the Chants allowing five hits and striking out one. Freshman right-hander Ashley Bagwell took over in the top of the third and finished out the game retiring 12 of 13 batters faced with four strikeouts. The win improves Bagwell to 8-9 on the season.
Winans finished the day with four RBIs, while teammates Maples and Snellings each tallied two.
The Chanticleers will step out of conference on Monday, April 11 to take on in-state foe South Carolina from the Gamecocks' Beckham Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
