Conway, S.C. -- Home runs by Katie Nutaitis and Terri Mesko led the Cougars softball team to sweep Coastal Carolina in a doubleheader 10-9 in game one and 9-2 in the night cap, Wednesday night at CCU Softball Field.
The Cougars record improves to 21-23 overall and 5-1 in the Southern Conference. The Lady Chanticleers fall to 14-23.
Charleston scored 10 runs on as many hits en route to its 10-9 victory over Coastal in game one. After ending the first inning down 2-0, Nutaitis ripped a 260-feet bomb to left field. The solo homer sparked a six-run rally as CofC cycled through the line-up. Mesko, Tiffany Harmon, Christal Kotchman, Linzi Bereitschaft and Shannon Howard scored the balance of the runs to put the Cougars up 6-2.
After the defense held the Chants scoreless in the bottom of the second, Kotchman and Mesko scored on a CCU error to put two more runs on the board for the Cougars. With one out in the fourth, Nutaitis hit her second home run of the game. The freshman who was named Southern Conference softball Player of the Week for Monday, March 31, is the only Cougar to hit two homers in one contest this season. She is tied for the team's top spot with four homers.
Harmon scored Charleston's final run in the top of the seventh. Howard reached on a fielders' choice to advance Harmon and Kristi Woodall. Harmon's run came on a wild pitch. The Lady Chants forged a comeback with four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cougar defense stopped them one run short.
Howard (11-9) pitched through 6.2 innings striking out four batters and allowing eight hits.
Freshman Alexa Datko pitched her first complete game striking out seven batters in the last game of the evening. The Cougars opened the scoring in the first inning in their 9-2 victory in game two. Howard reached on a fielder's choice to bat in a run by Harmon. Mesko added the second CofC run in the game with a solo shot to left-center. The homerun was the first of the season for the sophomore McDonough, Ga., native.
Charleston went on a seven-run rally sparked by a run by Harmon who scored on a Coastal error. The remainder of the Cougar runs were scored by Woodall, Alex Williams, Samantha Kubinski, Brittany Small, Mesko, Datko and Kotchman on Chant. The majority of the scoring opportunities came on singles and Coastal errors.
Harmon, a junior, led the offense on the evening. The Lynn Haven, Fla., native went 4-for-8 (.500) from the plate. She scored four runs and had one RBI. Howard batted in six runs and went 3-for-9.
Charleston returns to SoCon action April 4 and 5 when they host Furman at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Game one begins of the day one doubleheader starts at 1. First pitch of the series finale will be thrown at 1 p.m.
