CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina softball team (2-0) went undefeated in a doubleheader against UMass Lowell on the opening day of the 2023 season at St. John Stadium on Thursday.

CCU scored a total of 16 runs in the two games, from eight different players. This included one home run, three doubles, one triple, and seven RBIs.

Game 1: Coastal 6, UMass Lowell 3

The Chanticleers took an early lead after Abbey Montoya got caught stealing to allow transfer senior Diamond Williams to score CCU’s first run of the night in her debut game for Coastal.

In the bottom of the third, CCU added three more runs to its lead after Delaney Keith singled to drive in Keirstin Roose from second base and Riley Zana doubled to drive in two RBIs to push the Chants’ lead to 4-0.

UMass Lowell scored its first two runs of the night in the top of the fourth when Cayla Tulley and Morgan Fisher each drove in one RBI to trim the Coastal lead to 4-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, senior Iyanla De Jesus singled up the middle to drive in Montoya and Williams from second and third base, respectively, to extend Coastal’s lead to 6-2 with two innings left to play.

The UMass Lowell River Hawks could only scrape back one more run in the top of the sixth to put the final score to 6-3.

Freshman Keith went 3-for-4 in her career debut driving in one RBI and scoring one run for the Chanticleers.

Senior Raelee Brabham (1-0) took the win for the Chanticleers after throwing nine strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work, while sophomore Nicolette Picone registered the save by throwing three strikeouts and giving up one run in 2.0 innings.

Game 2: Coastal 10, UMass Lowell 2 (5 innings)

Coastal got off to a stellar start in the second game, putting seven runs on the board in the bottom of the first. De Jesus got the ball rolling when she blasted a home run over left-center field, driving in two of her teammates in the process to make the score 3-0.

A series of wild pitches and walks from Giana La Cerda loaded the bases for the Chanticleers and brought in one RBI forcing UMass Lowell to switch out its pitcher. With the bases loaded, Williams tripled down the right-field line to drive in three RBIs.

CCU’s next run came in the bottom of the third after Williams hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Jay Wrightsman from third base.

Coastal advanced the score to 9-0 after transfer senior Indya Smith doubled to left center to drive in pinch runner Libby Pippin.

UMass Lowell scored its only two runs in the top of the fifth when Lea White and Cayla Tulley each drove in one RBI.

Coastal closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth when Keith’s sacrifice fly to left field drove in Payton Ebersole to give CCU the win with a score of 10-2.

De Jesus (1-0) picked up the win for the Chanticleers, throwing six strikeouts and did not give up a single run in her 4.0 innings pitched.