CONWAY – On Friday, the Coastal Carolina softball team dropped their third-straight game of the season as they drop to 2-5 overall on the year as the Lipscomb Bisons defeated CCU by the score of 4-3 at St.John Stadium.
Chanticleers' starter Kaitlin Beasley-Polko allowed the Bisons to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Caitlin Turner singled up the middle and scored leadoff batter Amy Vetula. Two batters later, Lipscomb produced their second run of the top half of the first inning when Olivia Ward singled home Presley Leebrick.
The Chants got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth as they were sparked by a leadoff walk from senior Courtney Dean. After Bisons' pitcher Breana Burke retired sophomore Iyanla De Jesus, CCU connected with back-to-back singles off the bats of seniors Taylor Sweigart and Ally Clegg to cut the Lipscomb lead to one, 2-1.
Coastal tied the score 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior Makiya Thomas reached on a fielding error by Elise Shewmaker at first base. Thomas stole second base and then would come around to score on the Bisons' second error of the inning off the glove of the third baseman Olivia Ward.
LU took back the lead in the top of the sixth when Katelyn Belding lined a double into left-center field as it scored pinch-runner Abby Davis from second base and gave the Bisons' a 3-2 cushion. Kyndall Crawford came around to score their fourth run of the game with two outs in the inning as Beasley-Polko walked Vetula with the bases loaded.
Chanticleer pinch hitter Peyton Rivas led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a perfect bunt single in front of the pitching circle in which the Bisons' infield had no answer. The next batter, Thomas, would double into left-center field as it scored Rivas from first base. With Thomas advancing to third base on the errant throw from the shortstop Vetulla, the speedy Chant outfielder tried to tie the game at 4-4 but was thrown out at home after the ball was coraled by the pitcher, Breana Burke.
Burke would get the final two outs of the seventh inning to give her team their fifth victory of the season.
Both Beasley-Polko and Burke went the distance in the Friday's game.
Burke (3-1) allowed three runs, two earned with six hits.
Beasley-Polko (2-2) dropped her second straight decision on the year as she allowed five runs, four earned on five hits with a game-high seven punchouts.
Thomas led both teams with two hits in the game. The Tacoma, Wash., native had a double and a single.
The two teams will square off in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon starting at 1 p.m. ET
For complete coverage of CCU softball, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalSoftball (twitter), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), and facebook.com/CCUChanticleers(Facebook) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
