SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Coastal Carolina softball team dropped its third-straight game on Friday afternoon at Texas State (24-3, 8-0 SBC) by the score of 3-2. The Chanticleers drop to 8-16 overall this season and 1-8 in Sun Belt Conference play.
A highly contested 6.2 innings of softball came down to Texas State's Haleigh McKay walk-off home run to hand Coastal its sixth-straight conference loss of the season.
Hannah Earls' leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning was her first of three hits on the afternoon. Two batters later, Sarah Vanderford singled to center field, but it was misplayed that allowed Earls to score and give Texas State the early one-run advantage, 1-0.
The Chanticleers took the lead with a run in the second and third innings.
In the top of the second, after the Chanticleers roughed up starter Bobcat Tori McCann, they tied the score 1-1 on a Sydney Guess RBI groundout off reliever Jessica Mullins.
The Bobcats elected to keep their ace Mullins in the third, but Stavi Augur led off the third against the maroon and bronze's ace with a double into left-centerfield, her second of the season.
The senior Augur would give the Chants a 2-1 when she scored on consecutive bunts Mary Sobataka and Riley Zana.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, TXST answered the Chanticleers' two runs with one of its own to the score at 2-2.
CCU reliever Raelee Brabham retired the first two batters of the fourth inning, but Piper Randolph kept the inning alive for Texas State with a single into center field. Randolph advanced to second on a steal that set up Earls' RBI double that tied the score.
Over the next 2.2 innings, the Chants hung in with the conference-leading Bobcats with good defense and strong pitching.
With two outs and runners on second and third base, the Chanticleers picked off Sarah Vanderford at third base to end the scoring threat.
Brabham retired the Bobcats in the sixth, but after getting two outs in the bottom of the seventh, McKay ended the game with her third home run of the season.
Brabham relieved starter Kaitlin Beasley-Polko in the second inning as she matched her longest outing of the season of 5.1 innings. The Moncks Corner, S.C., native gave up six hits, allowed two runs, and falls to 1-4 on the season.
CCU's Makiya Thomas extended her hitting streak to seven games with a leadoff single in the first inning.
Augur led the Chants and tied her season-high with two hits in the series finale.
Megan King came out of the bullpen for the second time in the series to improve to 7-1 on the season. King pitched the final 3.2 innings, allowed no runs on two hits.
Hannah Earls led all batters in the game with three hits in the 3-2 victory.
The Chanticleers return to action on Saturday, April 9-10 against Sun Belt foe, Georgia Southern. All three games will be shown on ESPN+.
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.
