MONROE, LA. - On Saturday, the Coastal Carolina softball team dropped its first two games to start Sun Belt Conference play to the ULM Warhawks by the scores of 6-3 and 8-4. The Chanticleers fall to 6-9 overall on the season and 0-2 in the conference.
ULM 6, CCU 3
The Chanticleers fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning as ULM leadoff hitter Korie Kreps doubled down the left-field line off CCU starter Kaitlin Beasley-Polko and then came around to score two batters later on CCU's first error of the game.
The Chants answered with two runs in the top of the second inning with two extra-base hits.
Courtney Dean led off the second inning with a triple down the right-field line and then came around to score on junior Abbey Montoya's first home run of the season to give the Chants a 2-1 advantage.
Beasley-Polko held the Warhawks scoreless over the next 1.2 innings before she allowed a two-out walk to Kelsey Giddens.
Giddens moved over to third base after a stolen base and the second error of the game by Coastal. The ULM catcher crossed home plate to tie the score for ULM at 2-2.
Coastal Carolina retook the lead in the top of the fifth with the aid of four UL Monroe errors in the inning.
Senior Makiya Thomas added her 10th RBI of the season on a sacrifice fly to left field that scored senior Stavi Augur from third base to give Coastal a 3-2 lead.
ULM answered the Chanticleers with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and sealed the game one victory.
Doubles by Andie Edwards, Madison Blount, and a single Kennedy Johnson highlighted a four-run fifth for the Warhawks as they went on to win 6-3.
Montoya and fellow junior Mackenzie Beyer led the Chants in game one with two hits apiece.
UL Monroe's Edwards led her team with two hits, a double and single.
Gianni Hullett earned her third victory of the season as she came out of the bullpen and pitched five innings to get the win.
Beasley-Polko went the distance for the fifth time this season but falls to 4-4 as she gave up six runs, two earned on seven hits.
ULM 8, CCU 4
The Warhawks scored four times off Chanticleer starter Iyanla De Jesus in the bottom of the first and never looked back as they earned the 8-4 win in game two.
De Jesus got the first two outs of the bottom of the first inning but then allowed two consecutive walks that turned into a ULM 4-0 lead after they took advantage of runs batted in from Kelsey Johnson and Alysia Anderson.
Korie Kreps tacked on another run for ULM in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff home run that gave the Warhawks a 5-0 advantage.
The Chants rallied to cut the UL Monroe lead 5-2 in the top of the third inning as they got leadoff hitte Dean and Kayla Rosado into scoring position. De Jesus helped herself as she knocked in the upperclassmen and gave her team their first two runs of the game with her seventh and eighth RBI of the season off ULM reliever Hullet.
Giddens added an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning for maroon and gold and extended the advantage to four runs by the score of 6-2.
Mount put the game away in the sixth inning for the Warhawks with a two-run homer off of CCU reliever Raelee Brabham.
The Chanticleers added two late runs in the seventh inning with RBI from Augur and Taylor Sweigart.
Just as in game one, Hullet came out of the bullpen to earn the victory as she allowed three hits in four innings.
Coastal freshman Riley Zana got her second start of the season at third base and the native of Elryia, Ohio native collected her first Chanticleer base hit with a single in the top of the fourth inning.
CCU starter De Jesus drops to 1-3 on the season as she allowed six runs, six hits in 4.1 innings in the 8-4 loss.
The Chanticleers and the Warhawks close out the series on Sunday afternoon, with the first pitch scheduled for 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
