CONWAY, SC— Winthrop softball fell 9-1 in five innings in the series opener against Coastal Carolina, Friday evening at Charles Wade-John Lott Field.
The Eagles fall to 12-17 on the year and 1-3 in the Big South while Coastal Carolina improves to 16-15 overall and 4-2 in the Big South. The teams will complete the series on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
The Chanticleers jumped on the Eagles in the bottom of the first with four runs, three of which came with two outs. The first run scored on a Kory Hayden single to left center as
Sara Allen was able to get Morgan Noad to pop up for the second out but the next two batters came through for Coastal. Amanda Daneker doubled to center on a 3-2 pitch and then Kelsey Dominik homered to center for a two-run shot and a 4-0 lead.
Winthrop tried to cut into the deficit in the top of the third as
Paige Haley stepped up with one out and runners at first and second as she singled to right, scoring
Christine DeWitt from second. That put runners at the corners for
Zharne Glover, but she fouled out for the second out. Haley then stole second to put two runners in scoring position, but
Leah Young struck out swinging to end the threat.
Coastal didn't let up as it got the run back immediately as Daneker homered to center on a 3-2 pitch to lead off the bottom of the third.
The game ended in the fifth inning when Coastal posted three runs. The team's fourth error of the game put the leadoff batter on and then two batters later Sara Rasley homered to center field for a 7-1 lead. With two outs, Kiana Quolas came up and reached on the Eagles fifth error of the game, allowing a run. That brought up Hayden as she doubled to score Quolas for the 8-run lead.
Dallas King suffers the loss and falls to 1-7 after allowing five runs on six hits with two walks in two innings. Allen tossed 2.2 innings of relief allowing one earned run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Quolas earned the win for Coastal in the circle as she improved to 9-9 after allowing one run on two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in five innings.
