CONWAY, S.C. ? Presbyterian College dropped both games of a doubleheader to Coastal Carolina on Thursday afternoon at the CCU Softball Field. Coastal Carolina claimed game one, 6-5, in the 10th inning, while the Chanticleers picked up a 4-2 win in game two.
PC is now 8-17 on the year with the two losses, while Coastal Carolina is now 8-10 on the year with the two victories over the Blue Hose.
Game One
Coastal Carolina forced extra innings in game one by erasing a 4-1 PC lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Chanticleers would earn the 6-5 victory three innings later in the bottom of the 10th when Laicole Walker singled to score Ashley Pederson from third.
Amanda Miller (Orlando, Fla.) led the Blue Hose in the game one loss, going a 3-for-4 from the plate. Two of Miller's three hits were doubles. She also scored one run.
The multi-hit game was Miller's sixth of the season. It was her second three-hit contest of her freshman season.
The Blue Hose started the game in the right direction by scoring three of its five runs in the top of the first inning. Laura Tate (Spartanburg, S.C.) got things going for the Blue Hose when she led off the game with a single to center field.
A couple batters later Ashley Ford (Marietta, Ga.) singled to right field to place runners on first and third for the Blue Hose.
Katie Anderson (North Augusta, S.C.) then belted a three-run home run to right field to give PC the early 3-0 lead.
After Coastal Carolina got one run back in the bottom of the fourth, PC pushed its lead back to three. Rachel Parker (Lake City, Fla.) brought home the run when she singled to center field to bring in Miller, who had arrived on base with a double down the left field line.
The score would remain 4-1 PC until the bottom of the seventh inning. All three of Coastal Carolina's runs in the bottom of the seventh were unearned and came with two outs.
PC looked to take the game in the top of the eighth inning when Taylor Staten (Belvedere, S.C.) singled to score Cari Clark (Lafayette, La.) and give PC a 5-4 lead. Clark had reached base on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.
The Chanticleers responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first extra frame before earning the win two innings later.
Game Two
The Blue Hose fell 4-2 to the Chanticleers in game two of their twinbill on Thursday afternoon.
PC did not have anyone tally multiple hits against CCU, but Parker hit her team-best seventh home run of the season in the contest.
The Chanticleers started the second game by scoring two runs in their first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning.
PC cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third inning when Paige Cassady (Orlando, Fla.) scored. Cassady had started the inning by singling up the middle. Miller singled through the left side to bring in Cassady and collect the RBI and her team-high fourth hit of the afternoon.
CCU scored another in the bottom of the same frame to extend their lead back to two runs at 3-1. PC cut the lead to one at 3-2 in the top of the sixth with Parker's solo shot to left field.
Coastal Carolina added another in the bottom of the inning to set the final score at 4-2.
Next Up
The Blue Hose next welcome future Big South Conference opponent Charleston Southern to the PC Softball Complex for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.
It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season. PC won its first game as an NCAA Division I institution against Charleston Southern on Saturday, Feb. 16 with a 5-2 victory over the Buccaneers in its first game of the Charlotte Green & White Tournament. CSU avenged the loss one day later with an 8-5 win over PC on Sunday, Feb. 17.
