ARLINGTON, TEXAS – The Coastal Carolina softball team fought hard on Friday night but fell on the road to UT Arlington, 5-11, in game one of the Sun Belt Conference weekend series in Arlington, Texas. 

The Chants dropped to 12-12 overall and 1-3 in Sun Belt Conference play with the loss, while the Mavs improved to 9-11 overall and 1-3 in SBC play.
 
Makiya Thomas singled up the middle before Abbey Montoya hit into a double play in the top of the first inning. Riley Zana kept the inning alive with a single past second base but Coastal would leave the runner stranded as Keirstin Roose grounded out to third to end the inning. 
 
UT Arlington's Kaylee Cavazos doubled to start the bottom of the inning for the host before a sacrifice bunt from Jessica Carreon advanced Cavazos to third. KJ Murphy's single sent Cavazos home to make the score 1-0.
 
Zana looked to start the momentum for Coastal in the top of the third inning, as the sophomore singled up the middle followed by a Roose walk. Iyanla De Jesus singled down the right-field line to advance both runners and tie the contest at 1-1. 
 
In the top of the fourth inning, Madison Hudson sent her fourth home run of the season over the left-center field wall on a solo shot to make the score, 2-1. Payton Ebersole singled before Thomas knocked a two-run home run over the wall in right field to put the visitors up 4-1.
 
Morgan Rios drew a walk in the bottom of the fourth inning for UTA before Reagan Hukill singled to right-center field which brought home pinch-runner Dariane Cram to make the score 4-2. 
 
Coastal added its final run of the night in the top of the fifth, courtesy of a De Jesus solo home run, her sixth of the season, to left-center field to make the score 5-2. 
 
UT Arlington used a six-run bottom of the fifth inning and a three-run bottom of the sixth inning to push past Coastal. 
 
Sophie Wideman started the Mavericks six-run frame in the bottom of the fifth inning as she drew a walk to reach first which was quickly followed by a two-run homer from Cavazos to make the score 5-4.
 
Back-to-back walks for Murphy and Rios put runners on first and second before a wild pitch advanced both runners up one base. Hukill drew a walk to load the bases, followed by an Aaliyah White RBI walk that advanced all runners, which sent Murphy home.
 
UTA's Morgan Westbrook then sent an RBI single past the shortstop to send home Rios. Wideman, who led off the inning, then singled and advanced to second on a Chanticleer error which allowed both White and Hukill to score to make the score 8-5.
 
In the bottom of the sixth inning, UTA would add three more runs to put the final score at 11-5. 

At the plate, De Jesus finished the night 3-for-4 with one run and two RBIs. Thomas and Zana each went 2-for-4 which each recording one run, while Thomas recorded two RBIs.
 
In the circle, Mady Volpe (1-2) suffered just her second loss of the season.
 
Coastal Carolina and UT Arlington are set to rematch on Saturday, March 19, at 3 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 at www.GoCCUsports.com.