Coastal Softball Cruises in Season Opener, 8-0

Box Score

CONWAY, S.C. - Kiana Quolas tossed a shutout while hitting a milestone and Kailey Mellen enjoyed a perfect collegiate debut at the plate as the Coastal Carolina softball team started its season with an 8-0 five-inning victory over Lafayette Friday evening in the Kickin' Chicken Classic.

Quolas scattered five hits and struck out five to become the third pitcher in program history to hit the 500 career-strikeout mark. She recorded two in the first inning to hit the mark on the nose and now has 503 for her career.

Mellen, a freshman from Tucson, Ariz., started her career off with hits on all three of her at-bats, including a double. She drove in one run and scored twice. Morgan Noad went 2-for-2 with a home run, while Amanda Daneker and junior transfer Kelsey Dominik each had two-run hits.

Coastal scored its first five runs of the game on two-out hits, beginning with a four-run third inning. Mellen singled to left in her first plate appearance. Kasey Oliver followed with a sacrifice and Bri Chiusano reached on a bunt single and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. The steal was the 78th of Chiusano's career, making her second alone in program history in just 115 games played.

Two batters later, Daneker singled to left to give the Chants a 2-0 lead. Noad then doubled, Kory Hayden walked, and Dominik doubled off the top of the fence in left-center to score two more.

Mellen got things started again in the fourth, hitting a lead-off double and another Oliver sacrifice moved her up before Quolas made it 5-0 with an RBI double to right-center.

Noad then started a three-run fifth with a solo homer over the center field fence, the 31st of her career to move into a tie for fourth on Coastal's all-time list. A pair of walks around a Lafayette error loaded the bases for Mellen, who singled to left for her first career RBI. Oliver then drew a walk to end the game.

Each of the five hits allowed by Quolas were singles. She stranded a pair of runners in both the second and fourth en route to notching her 25th career shutout.

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Coastal Rewind 
March 31, 2020: 2014 Big South Volleyball Championship
April 3, 2020: 2013 FCS Football Playoff Win at Montana
April 7, 2020: Coastal Football Beats Kansas for First-Ever Power 5 Win
April 10, 2020: Women's Basketball Defeats Troy in Shootout for First-Place
April 14, 2020: 2014 Big South Men's Basketball Championship Game
April 17, 2020: 2003 Men's Soccer Season
April 21, 2020: Women's Lacrosse Wins 2015 Big South Tournament Game Over Campbell
April 24, 2020: Coastal Baseball Walks-Off Clemson to Give Gilmore His 900th Win
April 28, 2020: Coastal Softball Advances to 2019 Sun Belt Championship Game
May 1, 2020: Women's Soccer Defeats Texas State to Advance in 2017 Sun Belt Championship
May 5, 2020: Volleyball Wins 2017 Sun Belt Championship
May 8, 2020: Football Comes-From-Behind to Beat Liberty in Double-Overtime (2013)
May 12, 2020: Women's Golf Wins the 2018 Sun Belt Championship
May 15, 2020: Men's Tennis Wins 2016 Big South Championship
May 19, 2020: Men's Soccer Defeats NC State in 2019 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
May 22, 2020: Men's Golf Wins the 2018 Sun Belt Championship
May 26, 2020: Women's Soccer Upends High Point in OT (2014)
May 29, 2020: Coastal Football Opens FBS Era with Victory Over UMass
June 2, 2020: Lacrosse Comes-From-Behind to Beat Liberty in 2016 Big South Championships
June 5, 2020: Volleyball Downs App State; Hardeman Climbs CCU Career Kills List
June 12, 2020: Football Downs #12 Bethune-Cookman, 48-24, in NCAA FCS 1st Round
June 16, 2020: Chanticleers Rout Liberty in Record-Setting Win in 2014-15
June 18, 2020: Anthony Meo Throws No-Hitter at 2011 Big South Tournament
June 23, 2020: Men's Soccer Blanks South Carolina 3-0