BOCA RATON, FLA. – The Coastal Carolina softball dropped a pair of games to Illinois State and No. 10 Kentucky on Sunday at FAU Softball Stadium to closeout the FAU Tournament as it drops them to 6-7 overall on the season.
Illinois State 12, Coastal 5
In game one, the Red Birds scored seven runs in the first inning off Chanticleer pitching and never looked back as they tallied 18 hits in the 12-5 win.
ISU sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning off starter Chanticleer starter Raelee Brabham. The sophomore righty gave up hits to Mack Leonard (2), Kalli Chval, and Dayna Kennedy before Jayden Standish hit a grand slam put the red and white up by the score 7-0 lead at the end of the first inning.
After Illinois State added another run in the top of the second inning, the Chants picked up their first run of the game in the bottom of the second on an RBI ground out by Ally Clegg to cut the score to 7-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Redbirds broke the game wide open with four RBI hits from Standish, Gardner, and Chval to extend their lead to 12-1.
CCU rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning as they scored four runs off Red Birds starting pitcher Hannah Ross
Ross got the first two outs in the bottom of the fifth before the Chanticleers reeled off four consecutive hits from the top of the lineup. CCU got singles from Sydney Guess, Makiya Thomas, and graduate student Kayla Rosado came up with her 12th RBI of the season with a single to shortstop. Senior Courtney Dean extended the inning as she added two RBI with a single into right field. Coastal finished off the scoring and cut the Red Bird lead to 12-5 in the inning when ISU shortstop Madi Bylak misplayed a ground ball off sophomore Iyanla De Jesus' bat.
Ross pitched five innings, gave up five runs, three earned for her first win of the season, and improved to 1-0 on the season.
CCU had eight hits in the game and was led by Thomas' three. Guess and Rosado pitched in with two hits apiece.
Brabham dropped to 1-2 on the season as she lasted just 1.2 innings and gave up eight runs, seven earned on nine hits.
Kentucky 12, Coastal 3
Coastal surprised the No. 10 team in the country with two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 advantage.
Makiya Thomas led off the game with a single off Wildcat starter Sloan Gayan and then stole second base before she and Courtney Dean came around to score on Sydney Guess' double into left field.
Kentucky countered with two of their own in the bottom of the first that tied the score as Mallory Peyton connected with her first home run of the day off CCU starter Kaitlin Beasley-Polko to tie the score, 2-2.
The Chants answered and retook the lead off a solo homer from Mary Sobataka's bat for her second home run of the season as it gave the Chants a 3-2 lead in the top of the third.
KU put nine runs on the board in the bottom of the third to put CCU away by the score of 12-3.
Peyton hit a three-run home run, her second of the game to highlight the Wildcat rally.
Reliever Miranda Stoddard came out of the bullpen to improve to 3-0 on the season as she pitched the final four innings.
Peyton went 2-for-3 on the day with two home runs and five RBI.
Beasley-Polko drops to 4-3 on the season as she pitched 2.1 innings and allowed 10 runs, four earned on six hits.
Thomas has now hit in five-straight games for CCU while batting .563 (9-for-16).
Coastal Carolina returns to the field next weekend, March 12-14, as they start Sun Belt Conference play in Monroe, La., against the ULM Warhawks.
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
