CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina left fielder Natalie David's two-out, third-inning three-run home run was the difference Sunday afternoon as the Chanticleers took the series with a 4-1 win over the University of South Alabama softball team at CCU Softball Stadium.
UP NEXT
- South Alabama (26-25, 11-13) will now return home to close out the regular season with a doubleheader versus in-state foe Troy on Sun., May 6. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m. at Jaguar Field, while the series finale is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Prior to the series opener, South Alabama will honor its four seniors – Kaleigh Todd, Devin Brown, Kristian Foster and Haleigh Lowe.
Date: 4/29
Place: CCU Softball Stadium (Conway, S.C.)
Final Score: Coastal Carolina 4, South Alabama 1
Records: Coastal Carolina (24-27, 7-16 SBC), South Alabama (26-25, 11-13 SBC)
SCORING PLAYS
-1 Inn. — CCU, 1-0 —Timi Tooley single to left (RBI), scoring Kassidy Smith from third
-2 Inn. — USA, 1-1 —Lyric Cabral sacrifice fly to center, scoring Amanda Flynn (pinch runner) from third
-3 Inn. — CCU, 4-1 —Natalie David home run to left (3 RBI), scoring Kailey Mellen from second and Courtney Dean from first
KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
-With the Jaguars trailing by three, and two on and one out in the frame, Dayla Gulledge looked as if she had tied the contest up as she lifted a ball to left, but the ball seemed to die just shy of going out and David made the catch at the wall.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-Hannah Smith had a double and a walk, while also laying down a sacrifice bunt.
-Lowe also had a hit and a walk, while Brittani Reid, Gulledge (double) and Todd had the other hits for South Alabama.
-Alexis Reid pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief for the Jags, allowing just one hit and striking out three.
-CCU starter Ashley Guillette (13-13) allowed just the one run on five hits in her seven innings of work.
-David had just the one hit for a three-run home run. Timi Tooley drove in the only other run for Coastal.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Five different players recorded a hit for South Alabama.
-Lowe's seventh-inning single was the first and only two-out hit for the Jaguars.
-South Alabama had a runner move into scoring position each of the first four innings and five of its seven innings.
-The Jaguars were only retired in order one time – the fifth inning.
-South Alabama left eight runners left on base, compared to six by Coastal Carolina. The Jags were also 1-for-13 with runners on and 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
-Five of Coastal's seven hits came with two outs and the Chants were 5-for-12 at the plate with two outs. Three of Coastal's four RBI came with two outs in the inning.
-The bottom of the fourth marked the first time that either club was retired in order.
-Brown (16-15) took the loss going just 2.1 innings.
GAME FACTS
-Coastal got on the board with a run in its half of the first. K. Smith walked after a lengthy at-bat to start the inning and was moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs and runners at the corners after another base hit, Tooley brought home K. Smith with a RBI single to left to give the Chants a 1-0 lead.
-Kamdyn Kvistad walked to lead off the second for the Jags and Gulledge then dropped in a bloop double that landed just behind the cut of the grass behind the bag at first after the ball was lost in the sun by a pair of Coastal defenders. Cabral then lifted a ball to center that was deep enough to bring in Flynn, who was pinch running for Kvistad, from third to even the game at 1-1.
-The Jaguars looked to get something going in the third as Kaleigh Todd led off with an infield single and then stole her 16th base of the season. Lowe then walked, but Guillette retired the next three Jag batters to end the frame.
-Coastal took advantage of the missed opportunity in the bottom half of the inning. The Chants placed a pair on with one out and then after a strikeout, Brown fell behind 2-0 to David. David then drove the third pitch of the at-bat over the wall in left for her seventh home run of the season, this one putting CCU up 4-1.
-South Alabama had another scoring opportunity in the fourth as the Jags had a runner in scoring positon for the fourth-straight inning. Hannah Smith led off the frame with a double to the gap in right center, but Guillette didn't allow anything else stranding her at second.
-With two on and one out in the South Alabama half of the sixth, Gulledge just nearly tied the contest back up as she drove a ball to left, but David made the catch right at the wall to keep the Jags off the scoreboard. Guillette then got Cabral to fly out to right to end the inning.
-Lowe singled with two outs in the seventh for the Jaguars, but Guillette was able to get a pop up on the infield to end the game.
NOTES
-The meeting was the eighth in the all-time series between the two clubs.
-The start at designated player was the second of the season for Gulledge and the 34th overall of her career.
-Todd made her 161st consecutive start for the Jags at second, which moved her into fourth-place on the all-time list.
-Foster also moved into ninth on South's career games played chart as she competed in her 196th as a Jag.
-The 2.2 innings of work marked the shortest outing for Brown in a start since pitching 2.1 innings at Georgia State in the series finale last season on March 12.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_Jags. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear. All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub
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