CONWAY, S.C. - On Saturday, the Coastal Carolina softball team picked up their six-consecutive win and improved to 8-3 on the season. The Chanticleers earned back-to-back shutout wins for the second time this season Saturday afternoon with victories over the Seton Hall Pirates and Iona Gaels.
Seton Hall
Courtney Dean started off the bottom of the second inning with a single up the middle off Seton Hall starter Reganne Camp. With two outs, the junior and added the first run the game for both teams as she came around to score on a Mackenzie Beyer single to center field. Peyton Rivas capped off the second inning as sent a tapper into the outfield for her third RBI of the season, giving Coastal 2-0 advantage.
With two outs in the bottom of the third took a 3-0 lead as Dean came around to score for the second time in the game on an Abbey Montoya single to centerfield.
Junior Taylor Sweigart sparked a three-run top of the fifth inning for Coastal Carolina with a solo home run, her second of the season. Makiya Thomas extended the Chanticleers lead to 6-0 with a two-run double into left-center, bringing around Allison Kreyer and Montoya.
The Chants would add a run in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win for freshman starter Raelee Brabham.
Brabham went the distance for CCU for her third win of the season. The Moncks Corner, S.C. native, earned her second complete-game shutout of the season on a season-high on 145 pitches while adding a career-high 10 strikeouts.
Iona
It was a pitcher's duel throughout most of game two between CCU and Iona. Coastal Carolina starter Kaitlin Beasley-Polko and Gael's starter, Alana Evans, equaled one another through the first four innings of play.
Multiple times throughout the first four innings, Beasley-Polko would allow Iona to reach scoring position before getting out of the jam unscathed.
In the fourth inning, the Chants ace would allow three Gaels to reach safely. Beasley-Polko would show her grit by inducing a grounder back to herself and getting out number one. The veteran bared down on the final two batters of the fourth to get two big strikeouts to keep the score locked at 0-0.
Just like Beasley-Polko, Evans worked her way out of a fourth-inning bind as Courtney Dean doubled to centerfield for CCU to lead off the home half of the inning. The right-hander Evans would leave Coastal with a scoreless fourth frame.
Ally Clegg led off the fifth a walk before pinch-hitter Sydney Guess came off the bench to hit her second home run of the season with a two-run blast over the right-field wall.
That was all the runs Coastal Carolina would need to pick up their seventh consecutive win and improve their overall record to 8-3.
Beasley-Polko would earn her third victory of the season by going the distance, giving up just two hits and no runs.
Evans was quickly pulled after the homer from Guess in the fifth but pitched well in spite. The Gael righty pitched 4.2 innings, two earned runs, and four strikeouts in the 2-0 loss.
With three victories this weekend in the Ripley's Chanticleer Showdown, Head Coach Kelley Green is five wins away from 700 career wins.
CCU returns to action on Sunday at St. John Stadium to play UMBC with first pitch scheduled for 1:15 p.m.
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.
