The Presbyterian College softball team used four home runs, including two from Katie Anderson (North Augusta, S.C.), to take two games from Coastal Carolina, 2-1 and 8-1, in action this afternoon at the PC Softball Complex in Clinton, S.C.
The Blue Hose, who play the Chanticleers at 12 p.m. Saturday, in the final game of the series, improved to 24-14-1 and 8-6 in the Big South. Coastal Carolina dropped to 19-28, 3-8.
It was a pitcher's duel through the first three and a half innings of game one, with both teams mustering just two hits apiece during that time. That changed in the bottom of the fourth when Anderson took a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall for her first home run of the season, giving PC the 1-0 lead.
The home run started a string of three straight base hits for the Blue Hose, resulting in a bases loaded situation for Tera Powell (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) with one out. After she hit into a fielder's choice with the out being made at home, Amanda Miller (Orlando, Fla.) walked, bringing in PC's second run of the game.
Chanticleer Ashley Bagwell got out of the jam the next batter, as Morgan Durham (Simpsonville, S.C.) hit to the third baseman, who tagged out the runner for the third out.
Coastal Carolina came back in the top of the seventh, putting runners on first and third with no outs. The Chanticleers hit into a double play before Michelle Evans laced a shot up the middle, bringing in a run. The next batter lined to Anderson who made a leaping catch to save the tying run and end the game
Leslie Hensley (Cheraw, S.C.) pitched a complete game, giving up one run off six hits, striking out three, for the win (15-9). Bagwell took the loss for CCU, surrendering two runs off 10 hits (10-12).
PC came out firing in the second game, as the first two batters picked up base hits before Durham hit her seventh home run of the season, this one over the center field wall, to give the Blue Hose the early 3-0 lead.
The Chanticleers spotted a run in the top of the fourth when Sarah Maples hit a shot over the center field wall, her first of the season.
Anderson provided fireworks again, this time in the bottom of the fifth, with a two-run home run, her second of the season and the day, to give the Blue Hose the 5-1 lead.
Miller hit her third home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth with a three-run shot over the left field wall to extend the PC lead to 8-1.
Brittany Howell (Concrete, Wash.) went the distance for PC, surrendering just one run on five hits, for the win (9-5). She struck out eight, including the first four of six batters to open the game, as well as two of the last three.
Katelin Edwards picked up the loss for Coastal (4-6), giving up eight runs off 11 hits. All eight PC runs, as well as CCU's one run, came off home runs.
