Chants Come from Behind to Defeat Georgia State, 8-7

Sunday, April 18

Atlanta, Ga.

1 PM ET

Coastal Carolina University

13-19, 4-11

Georgia State

14-23, 2-14

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Coastal Carolina	2	0	0	1	3	1	1	8	12	1
Georgia State	0	0	1	1	5	0	0	7	12	2

Photo by: Keiona Houser, CCU Digital Team

4/18/2021 4:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score CCU Boxscore 32

Beasley-Polko moves up Chants all-time victory list with relief win

By: Quentin Reed

ATLANTA, Ga. - Both Coastal Carolina and Georgia State traded runs from the bottom of the third inning to the top of the sixth and were knotted up 7-7 before senior Courtney Dean broke the tie in the top of the seventh with a game-winning RBI single that gave Coastal the 8-7 win.

The win improves CCU to 13-19 overall and 4-11 in the Sun Belt Conference and is their first conference series victory of the season by taking two of three games. It also marks the team's second come-from-behind victory of the season when trailing after five innings of play.

Sophomore Mary Sobataka gave Coastal starter Raelee Brabham what seemed to be an insurmountable, 6-2 lead in the top of the fifth with a three-run blast, her fourth home run of the season.

The Panthers answered with five runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth as Daisy Hess answered with a three-run home run of her own that gave Georgia State the 7-6 advantage.

However, the lead didn't last long as the Chants plated a run to tie the score, 7-7.

Upperclassmen Stavi Augur and Kayla Rosado started off the late-game comeback with pair of singles. After the Panthers recorded their first out of the inning, Ally Clegg knocked in her 12th run of the season to tie the score.

After taking the lead in the top of the seventh inning on Dean's go-ahead hit, senior pitcher Kaitlin Beasley-Polko secured the Chants win by closing the door on Panthers in the bottom of the frame.

With her seventh win of the season, Beasley-Polko tied for sixth all-time in school history with 46 career wins, tying Vickie Dulaney's ('99) and Lauren Yates ('03) with. The Leonardtown, Md., native allowed four hits, a run, struck out four batters while she pitched 2.2 innings in relief.

CCU's Augur and Sobataka combined for five RBI in Sunday's 8-7 victory.

Augur connected with a two-run home run, her first homer, and multi-RBI game of the year. Sobataka's three-run homer in the fifth gave her number for four this season and her second three-RBI game of the year.

Rosado was on base all four times in the Sunday matinee as she went 3-for-4 with a walk. It was her first three-hit game as a Chanticleer.

With two hits on the afternoon, Chant senior Makiya Thomas extended her hitting streak to five games.

Emily Brown led the Panthers with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, including a double. Hess led GSU with three RBI from the previously mentioned three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.

The Chanticleers forced the Panthers to use four pitchers on the day. Savannah Freeman took the loss out of the bullpen as she worked 2 .2 innings, allowed two runs, three walks, the eventual game-winner in the top of the seventh.

The Panthers fall three games behind Coastal Carolina in the conference standings with a 2-14 SBC record, and 14-22 overall.

CCU returns to the diamond on Wednesday, April 21, as they host the Campbell Camels part of a doubleheader. The first pitch for game one is scheduled for 4 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.