Coastal Carolina Softball Dominates in the Battle at the Beach

It is probably no surprise that Kelly Green, Head Coach for the Coastal Carolina University softball team, thinks that there is something special about her team this year.

“I think that we have a really special group this year; they have a really strong level of chemistry amongst them, they are fun to coach, they have proven to have a very strong work ethic, and they are just driven,” Green said.

The Coastal Carolina University Softball is starting their preseason with a 9-1 record.

The CCU Women’s softball team traveled to Charleston Southern University on Feb. 13 and came back with a win of 6-2.

Coastal Carolina University hosted the Battle at the Beach Tournament Feb. 15 – 17. The ladies swept the competition and ended the weekend with a 4-0 record, with the Sunday, Feb. 17 game being cancelled.

The first game of the tournament was against Marshall University and the Chanticleers won, 1-0. Kaitlin Beasly – Polko, sophomore, pitched a shutout game, with four hits, but no runs scored.

The next victim to fall in the Battle at the Beach was Presbyterian College, with a final score of 4-0. First up to bat in the game for the Chanticleers was Kassidy Smith, she hit a homerun setting the score to 1-0 in the first inning. Senior pitcher, Ashley Guillette, also pitched a shutout game against PC, with four hits, but no runs scored.

The ladies took on number 86 in D1 softball rankings, Towson University. The Chanticleers were able to defeat the team 5-3, making Towson the only team to score more than one run against the Chanticleers during the weekend. The game started off with Towson and a lead of one against the Chanticleers, but in the fourth inning, Courtney Dean hits a homerun to center field, starting things off for the Chants. In the bottom of the fifth, freshman infielder, Abbey Montoya, hits a homerun, bringing the game to a tie. It is not until the ninth inning that either team scores again. Towson is the first to score in the ninth, making the score 3-2, but the Chants were not finished. In the bottom of the ninth, Taylor Sweigart hits a homerun with one out and brings in two runs, ending the game with a score of 5-3.

The Chanticleers faced PC in a second game on Saturday, Feb. 16. The Chanticleers won with a score of 9-1. The lady Chants were unable to score until the second inning, when Adrienne Visintine hit a home run, bringing in Chelsea D’Avilar, and set the score to 0-2. PC was able to score in the top of the fifth inning, but the Chanticleers only allowed one run. Dean claimed her second homerun of the weekend in the bottom of the sixth, and brought in two runs, putting the Chants ahead by six runs.

The CCU Women’s softball is heading to Orlando, Florida next week to participate in the UCF Tournament. Coach Green knows that the tournament will be difficult, but she is excited to see how the girls play.

“We’ve been doing some things really well and that certainly gives us confidence as we hit the road and go down to the UCF tournament, which is going to be a tough one,” Green said.

The CCU Women’s Softball will host their next home game during the Chanticleer Showdown, March 1 – 3. First game will be against Radford University on Friday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m.