April 23, 2011

Box Score

CLINTON, S.C. - The Coastal Carolina University softball team survived a 14-7 extra innings win over Presbyterian College in the final game of the three-game Big South Conference series on April 23. The Chanticleers improve to 20-28 overall and 4-8 in the Big South while the Blue Hose fall to 24-15 and 8-7 in the league.

The Chants got out to an early 1-0 lead as junior Chelsea Pineda hit her sixth home run of the season in the first inning over the left field fence.

Coastal added another run in the top of the second for a 2-0 lead. Sarah Maples led off with a first pitch hit up the middle and went to third after back to back hit by pitches on Michelle Evans and Ashley Pisone to load the bases. Brooke Donovan drove in Maples on a single to third base and Coastal closed the inning stranding three runners.

The Chants kept things going in the top of the fifth, adding two more runs. Donovan drew a lead off walk and Jessie Winans advanced her to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jazmin Daigle sent Donovan home on a double to right center and Sarah Maples followed with a single to right field allowing Saggiomo, who came in to pinch run of Daigle, to reach home for a 4-0 Coastal lead.

The Blue Hose did not go away easily, tying the score at 4-all in the bottom of the fifth. Krysten Handy led off with a walk and Lindsay Trombley came in to pinch run. Taylor Staten followed with a walk and Rachel Hopper singled through the left side to load the bases. Tera Powell reached first on a throwing error by the shortstop, sending Trombley and Staten home to cut the Coastal lead to two. After back-to-back strikeouts, Brittany Howell doubled to left field bringing in Hopper and Powell.

Coastal finally broke the tie in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs. With two outs, Tamara Hawkins singled down the right field line and Donovan followed with a single to second. Beth Kassuhn came in to pinch run for Hawkins and Winans cleared the bases with a three-run homer to right centerfield, giving the Chanticleers a 7-4 lead.

Presbyterian College answered back, scoring three runs in the bottom half of the eighth. Codee Yeske got things started with a lead off home run to centerfield. Mary Ellen Morris followed with a double to right center and Staten singled through the right side, advancing Morris to third. Staten went to second on a wild pitch and Powell singled to second base, but a throwing error allowed both Morris and Staten to score to tie the game at 7-all.

The Chanticleers bats came alive in the ninth inning as Coastal scored seven runs. Ashley Pisone started things off with a single to the shortstop and then stole second. Olivia Williams followed with her first career home run over the left centerfield fence, giving the Chants a two run advantage. Coastal did not stop there as Winans singled to center with two outs and stole second before Chelsea Pineda doubled to right center, scoring Winans. Daigle singled to the shortstop and Maples reached first on a throwing error at third, sending Pineda home. Michelle Evans doubled left center, allowing Daigle to score and Pisone brought Maples home on a single through the left side. Williams sent the final run of the inning home with a single, allowing Evans to score for a 14-7 lead.

The seven run deficit was too much for the Blue Hose to come back from as Coastal won the final game of the three-game series. The Chanticleers finished the game with a season-high 20 hits, including seven players recording multiple hits on the day.

Ashley Bagwell got the start in the circle for Coastal, allowing six runs, two earned, on eight hits while striking out a career-high 12 batters in 7.0 innings pitched. Michelle Evans pitched in relief and got the win, moving to 6-9 on the season after giving up one run on three hits and striking out four.

The Blue Hose threw four pitchers with Powell getting the loss. Leslie Hensley started for PC, allowing two runs on five hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Brittany Howell pitched in relief for 4.0 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and striking out four. Powell and Amanda Miller finished up the game, scattering a combined eight hits with Powell allowing seven runs, three earned, to score.

Coastal returns home to host Gardner-Webb in a three-game Big South series, playing a doubleheader on April 30 and the final game on May 1.