MONROE, La. – The Coastal Carolina softball team got back on the winning track on Sunday afternoon at the ULM Softball Complex as the Chanticleers defeated the ULM Warhawks by the score of 2-0 behind senior pitcher Kaitlin Beasley-Polko's two-hit performance. The Chanticleers move to 7-9 overall and 1-2 in Sun Belt Conference play.

Sunday's performance marks the sixth time in the Leonardtown, Md., native's career that she has pitched at least seven innings with two hits or less. The last time it happened was earlier this season when she defeated the Buffalo Bulls by the score of 6-0 to open up the 2021 season.

Chanticleer catcher Mackenzie Beyer gave her battery mate a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning with a leadoff home run to centerfield, her second of the season, off ULM starting pitcher Kassidy Giddens.

Coastal Carolina produced a run in the top of the fifth inning to extend their lead to 2-0.

With one out in the fifth, Makiya Thomas' double to left field moved pinch-runner Paige Rivas from first to third base on the play. The next batter, senior Stavi Augur knocked in her second run of the season as Rivas trotted in from third base on the out.

After four innings of hitless softball, Beasley-Polko ran into some trouble in the bottom of the fifth.

The Coastal starter loaded the bases as she allowed a walk, a single, and a Chanticleer error. The righty followed up by inducing consecutive ground balls to her middle infielders, Taylor Sweigart and Abbey Montoya,that disposed of the lead runner at home plate each time.Beasley-Polko ended the Warhawk threat in the inning as she got the maroon and gold's leading hitter Korie Kreps to fly out to left field to keep the score knotted at 2-0.

Beasley-Polko allowed a single to ULM's Maddie Fletcher in the sixth inning but retired six of the last eight batters to improve to 5-4 on the season and earned her sixth complete game of the year.

Along with four other Chanticleers, graduate student Kayla Rosado had a hit in the series finale, but the CCU first baseman reached base in all of her plate appearances, including two walks.

Warhawk starter Giddens drops to 1-2 on the season as she pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and two runs.

The Chanticleers return to action this Tuesday, March 16, as they travel to Charleston, S.C., for a mid-week doubleheader with the College of Charleston. Game times are set for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET.