Coastal Carolina held the Presbyterian College softball team hitless through four innings en route to a 4-0 win in game one of a Big South doubleheader Saturday afternoon in Conway, S.C. The Chanticleers rallied back from an 8-0 deficit to take the 9-8 eight-inning win in game two to take the series.
PC dropped to 21-21 overall and 9-9 in the league, while Coastal Carolina improved to 31-21, 16-6. Both teams face each other in the final game of the series Sunday, April 26, at 1 p.m.
In a well-pitched game by both teams in game one Coastal Carolina broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with a RBI single by Amanda Daneker that brought home Kiana Quolas, who was on base off a hit by pitch. A couple of PC errors in the fourth led to the Chanticleers making it a 2-0 game, before Coastal used a home run by Annie Robinson and another Blue Hose error to spot two more runs in the sixth to end with the 4-0 win.
Kensley Loudermelk, who moved to 12-7 with the loss, threw a complete game, giving up just two earned runs off five hits, while striking out four. Kelsey Dominik went 7.0 innings, giving up just three hits and no runs in the win (13-7).
Jenna Harris collected two of PC's three hits with singles in the fifth and seventh innings. Hope Rogers added the third hit with a single in the sixth. Five different Chanticleers recorded a hit apiece, with Daneker and Robinson pacing the team with a RBI each.
The Blue Hose finished with four errors, compared to one for CCU.
PC jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in game two after Shelby Petik doubled in Jill McLean in the first inning. Petik added two more runs in the third off a home run in the third to make it 3-0 in favor of the Blue Hose. Petik gave PC a 6-0 lead in the fourth off her second home run of the game and seventh of the season, this one a three-run shot over the right field fence.
The fourth inning also saw Erin Ruff score off an Erin Taylor single and a CCU throwing error, as well as a RBI single from Hope Rogers that brought home Taylor as PC took the 8-0 lead heading to the fifth.
Coastal Carolina began its rally in the bottom of the fifth with a bases loaded walk by Quolas. A RBI single by Kory Hayden made it 8-2, with the bases still loaded. Morgan Noad cleared them with a grand slam to right and CCU suddenly trailed by just two.
A Sara Rasley home run in the sixth and another one by Noad in the seventh and Coastal Carolina tied the game at 8-8, forcing extra innings after PC was unable to stage a comeback in the seventh.
In the bottom of the eight, Chiusan singled with two outs on the board. After stealing second she scored off a Quolas single to give the Chanticleers the come-from-behind 9-8 win.
Leading PC in game two was Petik, who was three-for-five with six RBI. Rogers followed with a two-for-three effort, with McLean two-for-four. PC collected nine hits as a team.
Chiusano paced the Chanticleers with four hits, with Noad holding the RBI nod with five off her two hits. CCU finished with 12 hits and three errors.
Natasha Sherrod earned the loss for PC, going 2.2 innings and giving up two runs off four hits. Sydney Seigler started for PC and surrendered six runs off seven hits.
Dominik came in relief for CCU and threw 3.0 innings, giving up no hits and no runs.
