CONWAY, South Carolina – Freshmen
Camryn Dean and
Janel Gamache each hit a home run, but it was not enough as Coastal Carolina held off a late rally by UNCW to earn a 6-4 victory in non-conference softball action at St. John Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The win upped the Chanticleers' record to 32-12 while UNCW dropped to 22-22 on the season.
Junior Kassidy Smith led Coastal Carolina by going 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and two runs scored. She hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning before adding a RBI double in the sixth inning.
Dean blasted the first home run of her college career in the fifth inning, a two-run shot to center field, while Gamache followed with a solo shot to center field. Senior
Hannah Adamczyk also drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning.
Sophomore Kaitlin Beasley-Polko earned the win in the circle for the Chanticleers, allowing four runs on five hits in 5.1 innings. Beasley-Polko, who improved to 21-7, also notched nine strikeouts.
Senior
Haley Lenderman dipped to 8-11 for the Seahawks after surrendering three earned runs on five hits over 3.0 innings with two strikeouts.
How It Happened: Coastal Carolina surged to a 5-0 lead in the game's first four innings. UNCW trimmed the deficit to 5-4 by scoring three runs in the fifth inning and another run in the sixth frame, but the Chanticleers scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Smith.
Up Next: UNCW resumes Colonial Athletic Association play this weekend with a three-game series at Delaware. The Seahawks and the Blue Hens are slated to play a single game on Friday, Apr. 19, before a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 20.
