College of Charleston
Coastal Carolina
Mesko gem caps Cougars double-header sweep of Coastal Carolina
3/14/2010 11:00:00 PM | Softball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Senior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) pitched a complete game one-hit shutout and sophomore third baseman Katie Forbes (Odessa, Fla.) went 3-for-7 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs on the evening as the College of Charleston (8-12) earned a double-header sweep of Coastal Carolina (8-12) in non-conference softball action at Patriots Point on Sunday, March 14.
The Cougars picked up an unearned run in the third inning of Game 1 to take a 1-0 lead before CCU answered with a pair of runs in the top of the next inning to make it 2-1. CofC then regained the lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth with runs on a ground out and an RBI triple by redshirt-senior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.).
The offensive production continued as the Chanticleers notched a pair of runs with an RBI single from freshman shortstop Jazmin Daigle and a run scoring double by sophomore first baseman Stacy Snellings in the fifth to pull back ahead at 4-3.
That would be all CCU would get though as the College of Charleston exploded for six runs over the next two innings as they pounded out five hits to take a 9-4 lead. Sophomore first baseman Kelley Dillon (Hanahan, S.C.) singled home a run in the fifth while Forbes laced a double down the third base line for a second run. In the sixth, sophomore outfielder Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) had an RBI single while redshirt-junior catcher Katie Pesature (Brewster, N.Y.) accounted for the Cougars final run with fielder's choice.
Freshman catcher Olivia Piccirillo drove home a pair of runs for Coastal Carolina while Daigle and Snellings each added an RBI. Senior pitcher Ashley Frederick pitched five innings and allowed five runs to take the loss and fall to 5-7 on the year.
Junior pitcher Kasie Meeks (Manchester, Tenn.) threw 2.1 innings of scoreless, hitless relief to earn the win for the College of Charleston as Lonergan went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. She was joined offensively by Dillon with a 2-for-3, one-run, one RBI performance while Pesature finished with a pair of RBIs.
In the nightcap, the Cougars built a picket fence for the first three innings, notching a single run in each frame, before erupting for five runs in the fourth inning to stretch to an 8-0 lead. A Forbes RBI double accounted for the first inning run while Amber Shifflett doubled home a run the following inning. Freshman shortstop Erica Kaufman (Berkeley, S.C.) singled in the third inning run before CofC scored five runs on two hits and an error in the fifth inning.
Following that frame, Terri Mesko set down the side in order in the top of the fifth to lock up the double-header sweep for the College of Charleston. On the day, the McDonough, Ga. native threw a complete game one-hit shutout and recorded five strikeouts while issuing only two walks. The lone hit of the game came in the third inning when senior outfielder Mecaela Ballard doubled to left field.
Forbes led the Cougars production at the plate with a 2-for-3, one run, two-RBI performance while Amber Shifflett added a run, RBI and her tenth stolen base in 11 tries this season. Lonergan, Kaufman and junior first baseman Katie Nutaitis (Vienna, Va.) each added an RBI for CofC while Nutaitis notched a 2-for-2 day.
CofC will be back in action on Thursday, March 18 when they host Maryland-Eastern Shore in a double-header at Patriots Point. Game 1 is scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
NOTES
The one-hit performance is the fourth such outing of Mesko's career ... she last threw at least four innings and allowed one hit on April 26, 2008 at Chattanooga ... in that game, she allowed a hit to the second batter of the game and then retired the next 24 as she pitched a complete game, one-hit eight inning shutout.
