Highlights

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – The Coastal Carolina softball team (37-19) launched three home runs on Wednesday night in their second round game of the 2019 Sun Belt Tournament as they defeated the UTA Mavericks (29-25) by the score of 5-4.
 
With two outs in the top of the third, freshman Mackenzie Beyer gave the Chanticleers a 1-0 lead with her sixth home run of the season off Mavs' starter Jo Jo Valencia.
 
Senior starter Ashley Guillette held the Mavericks scoreless through the first four innings but the Chanticleer starter allowed a leadoff walk to Bri Burchianti. Head Coach Kelley Green went to her bullpen for second-team all-conference pitcher Kaitlin Beasley-Polko. Melanie Mendoza greeted the Chanticleer righty with a single and Whitney Walton gave the Mavericks a 3-1 lead on her fourth home run of the season.
 
The Chanticleers answered the Mavericks in the top of the sixth with three runs of their own as leadoff hitter Stavi Augur singled and junior Kassidy Smith walked. After UTA reliever Randi Phillips retired senior Alexis Alvino with an infield pop out, next batter senior Natalie David hit a 1-0 pitch to the left field foul pole to give CCU a 4-3 lead on her fifth home run of the season.
 
The Mavericks put three runners on base in the bottom of the sixth inning against Beasley-Polko but after a walk to Brittany Wyllie, CCU went back to their starter Guillette with the bases loaded and one out. Guillette allowed the game-tying single to Melanie Mendoza but the Oxford, Ct., native went on to get the final two outs and retire the side and keep the score knotted at four runs apiece.
 
Sophomore Samantha Sack started the seventh inning with a single through the right side against the Mavs' reliever Allie Gardiner. After Chelsea D'Avilar moved up pinch-runner Kendall Coyle to second base on a sacrifice bunt, the freshman Beyer added her second hit of the evening with a single up the middle. With runners on second and third base, Augur put the Chants ahead by the score of 5-4 with her first sacrifice fly of the season.
 
UTA threatened in the bottom of the seventh with two outs as they got consecutive hits from Reagan Wright and KJ Murphy off Guillette.  Wright singled through the left side and then Murphy doubled down the left field line but Guillette would stop the Maverick rally as she struck out Wyllie for the final out of the game.
 
The combination of Guillette and Beasley-Polko would strand nine Mavericks on base in the victory.
 
Guillette tied her career-high with her 14th victory as she pitched 5.2 innings, allowed one run on five hits, and struck out four Mavericks.
 
Gardiner took the loss for UT Arlington as she fell to 5-7 on the season.
 
The Chanticleers will move on in the winners' bracket as they will face Troy at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.
 
For complete coverage of CCU softball, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalSB(twitter), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) and facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com

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