BOONE, N.C. – The Coastal Carolina softball team (35-18, 10-12 Sun Belt) notched a pair of victories in a doubleheader versus Appalachian State (22-28, 3-18 Sun Belt) on Thursday in Boone, N.C. The Chants breezed through game one without a hitch in a 7-1 win but had to rally back from 3-1 down to take the 4-3 comeback win in nine innings in game two.
Game 1: Coastal 7, App State 1
The Chants wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning after back-to-back singles from
Diamond Williams and
Delaney Keith and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases.
Iyanla De Jesus then laced an RBI single to shortstop to give CCU a 1-0 lead.
Indya Smith followed in her footsteps, driving in Keith on a fielder's choice to make the score 2-0.
App State got back in the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Taylor Thorp crushed a home run over the left-field wall to narrow the gap to 2-1.
In the top of the fifth inning, Keith kicked things off by reaching second base on an App State fielding error. De Jesus then cleared the bases when she belted a two-run home run over the left-center field wall to push the Chants ahead at 4-1.
CCU broke open the game in the top of the sixth inning when
Keirstin Roose ripped a leadoff double to left field. Williams then smashed her third hit of the game up the middle to drive in one run to put the Chants up 5-1. On the following play, Keith sent a rocket over the left-field wall to score two more runs and extended Coastal's lead to 7-1.
The Chants held strong in the bottom of the seventh inning, pulling off a double play on a live drive to
Abbey Montoya at shortstop to secure the 7-1 win.
Raelee Brabham improved to 12-10 with the win, recording four strikeouts while giving up just one run in her ninth complete game of the season.
Game 2: Coastal 4, App State 3 (9 innings)
App State got off to a quick start in game two, recording six hits in the opening two innings, which included a two-run home run by Kylie LaRousa to give the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
The Chants got one run back in the top of the fourth inning when Roose belted a single to right-center field to drive in De Jesus from second base to make the score 2-1 in favor of the home team.
The Mountaineers answered back in the bottom of the fourth frame when a CCU miscue and a Kayt Houston RBI double pushed App State ahead at 3-1.
CCU kept fighting in the top of the fifth inning when Williams hammered her team-leading 13th home run of the season over the right-center field wall to decrease the deficit to 3-2.
In the top of the sixth inning, De Jesus blasted her first career triple to right-center field to lead off the inning. Montoya then grounded out to shortstop, which allowed pinch runner
Jay Wrightsman to reach home to tie the game at 3-3.
The Chants closed out the game in the top of the ninth inning when Keith laced a single over the second baseman's head to drive in Roose to give Coastal the 4-3 comeback win.
Nicolette Picone (10-4) tallied her 10th win of the season, pitching 5.2-shutout innings while recording three strikeouts.
The Chanticleers will conclude their regular season tomorrow in game three of the Sun Belt Conference series versus App State at 2 p.m. ET in Boone, N.C.
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 goccusports.com.
