CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina softball team fought but came up short on the road 5-4 to Charlotte on Wednesday evening at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium.
With the loss, CCU dropped to 18-24 overall while the 49ers improved to 27-20 overall with the win.
Coastal struck first on the road as
Maddy Jennings sent a leadoff home run over the center-field fence for her sixth home run of the season to put CCU up 1-0 in the top of the second inning.
Back-to-back singles in the bottom of the second from Kourtney Gremillion and Stacy Payton put runners on first and second base for the 49ers before a sacrifice bunt from Anna Devereaux advanced both runners on base. A wild pitch sent Germillion home to even the score at 1-1 before a Lexi Wagner single sent Payton home and put Charlotte up 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, the 49ers added to their lead, as Ella Chancey was hit by a pitch to start the inning before she advanced to second on a wild pitch followed by Lindsey Walljasper's groundout to shortstop which advanced Chancey to third. Chole Henderson's singled up the middle to drive Chancey home and put Charlotte up 3-1.
Jennings recorded her second solo home run of the day, her seventh of the season, to make the score 3-2 in the top of the fourth.
With two outs in the top of the fifth,
Shae Schreckengost sent a bases-loaded single to center field that drove home pincher runner
Kennedy Ellis,
Keirstin Roose, and put Jennings on third and make the score 4-3.
The 49ers retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Bailey Vannoy double to left-center field to send home Wagner and Mekayla Frazier who had been walked in the previous at-bats.
Five different Chanticleers saw action in the circle against Charlotte, as
Maddie Redman (0-1) suffered her first loss of the season.
Jennings was the offensive catalyst at the plate for CCU as the freshman finished the night a perfect 3-for-3 while smacking two home runs and drawing one base on balls against the 49ers.
Coastal Carolina remains on the road and will now face Sun Belt Conference foe Louisiana, April 29-30 in Lafayette, La.
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.
