Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2
Feb. 15, 2018
CONWAY, S.C. -- Lafayette opened the 2018 season with a doubleheader at Coastal Carolina on Thursday evening as part of the Battle at the Beach Tournament. The games marked Caitlyn de la Haba's head-coaching debut for the Leopards. The hosts took both ends, winning 10-3 and 11-1.
After an early-morning flight to South Carolina on gameday, the Leopards still managed to have their bats ready to go, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Senior Samantha Sweigart was greeted unkindly in her first at-bat of each game, being hit by a pitch. Freshman Paige Grover singled Sweigart to third and took an extra base of her own on the throw.
That set the stage for junior shortstop Brooke Wensel (2-for-4) who plated both runners for the early lead. With one out in the inning, Wensel swiped third, allowing senior co-captain Miranda Skurla to score her with a ground ball as Lafayette put its final run of the inning on the board.
Coastal responded with a pair of runs in the home half of the first. Lafayette starter Stacy Gordon (1.1 IP, 6ER, 2 H, 5 BB 1K) walked the first two batters and then hit the third to load the bases. Samantha Sack drove in two with a double to right centerfield to trim Lafayette's lead to 3-2.
The Chanticleers posted four runs in the second inning to take the lead for good, two coming on Timi Dooley's one-out double after a pitching change.
Coastal Carolina added two more in the third. Taylor Sweigart, Samantha's younger sister, hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 8-3. Coastal added a run in each of the fourth and sixth innings in the 10-3 final.
Ashley Guillette collected the win, allowing three runs on four hits over four innings. Taylor Schmidt threw the final three to earn the save, allowing just two hits. Sophomore Alexis Randall tossed the final 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with three walks.
In the nightcap, Coastal Carolina (6-1) broke open a scoreless game with eight runs combined in the second and third innings.
Mackenzie Budinger and Kailey Mellen each homered in the bottom of the second as Coastal took the 3-0 lead.
The Leopards scored their lone run of the contest in the top of the third inning when Grover connected for her first career home run, a two-out shot to centerfield.
Taylor Sweigart struck again for the hosts in the third inning, with a solo home run. Budinger and Mellen each followed with two-run home runs as Coastal Carolina pulled away in the bottom of the third. Budinger finished off her seven-RBI night with a three-run home run in the fourth inning in the 11-1 final.
Gordon took the loss, allowing 11 runs over 4.0 innings with four walks. Kaitlin Beasley-Polko scattered three hits over five innings for the circle win.
Lafayette will play two games on Friday, facing Robert Morris at 11:30 a.m. and Rider at 7 p.m.
