LAFAYETTE, La. – The Coastal Carolina softball team upset the No. 2 seeded Marshall Thundering Herd 6-0 on Thursday afternoon to reach the 2026 Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals.
Coastal came out of the gates quickly when
Delaney Keith reached on a walk, and
Georgia Hood brought her home by blasting her 23rd home run of the season to put the Chants up 2-0 in the opening frame.
CCU looked to add more runs in the top of the third inning, loading the bases on three walks, but the Thundering Herd held strong to keep the score at 2-0.
The Chants broke the game open in the top of the fifth inning when
Brie Normandin laced a triple down the right field line,
Kaelin Cash drew a walk, and
McKennah Metzger singled to load the bases.
Libby Pippin then stepped to the plate and belted a grand slam over the right field wall to extend the lead to 6-0.
Coastal recorded back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the sixth and seventh to secure the 6-0 shutout victory.
Abby Henderson improved to 9-15 in the circle, pitching a complete-game shutout while allowing just one hit and striking out a season-high five batters.
The Chants will face the No. 3-seeded Texas State Bobcats on May 8 at 4 p.m. ET in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
For complete coverage of CCU softball, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalSoftball (X), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), and Facebook.com/CCUChanticleers, or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at GoCCUSports.com.
