CONWAY, S.C. – Sara Rasley went 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and Coastal Carolina defeated Campbell 5-3 Saturday in the semifinal round of the Big South Conference softball championship.
The host and top-seeded Chanticleers (41-14) will meet seventh seed Charleston Southern (26-31-1) Sunday at noon in the championship game that will be televised by ESPNU.
Milly Martinet finished 2-for-3 with 3 RBI for the fourth-seeded Camels (31-27) including a 2-run homer, her 17th of the year. Courtney Klingler also had a pair of hits for CU, which out-hit the Chants 8-7, but committed four errors.
"I'm proud of the way we competed this weekend," said Campbell head coach Drew Peterson. "We talked all season about finishing the season strong, and we did just that. They played as hard as they could today. Things didn't go our way, but not from a lack of effort."
Kiana Quolas (27-5) went the distance for Coastal, allowing three runs on eight hits with one walk a hit batter and six strikeouts. Katie Baker (14-11) allowed just one earned run on six hits in four and 2/3 innings for CU with two walks and four strikeouts.
"Against the conference pitcher of the year, we hit the ball hard all day and that showed our focus and concentration because Quolas is fantastic," said Peterson.
The Chanticleers scored 3 unearned runs on 2 hits and a pair of Campbell errors in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. CCU loaded the bases on a walk, error and single. After Kory Hayden's sacrifice fly tied the game at two, Rasley's 2-run double down the left field line pushed CCU ahead 4-2.
Campbell trimmed the margin to 4-3 in the sixth on Klingler's double down the left field line followed by Martinet's RBI single.
However, Morgan Noad answered with two out in the bottom of the frame with her 15th home run of the year, a shot down the right field line.
The Camels had the tying runs on in the seventh on a walk and Erica Johnson's two-out single, but Stephanie Jones grounded into a force out to end the game.
Coastal jumped in front in the second when Brooke Donovan doubled with two out and scored on Sara Rasley's single to right.
Martinet's two-run homer into the wind to center field pushed the Camels in front 2-1 in the fourth.
Campbell finished the season with a school-record .966 fielding percentage. Saturday's game was the last for five Camel seniors – Shaela Churchill, Jordan Clarke, Amanda Daw, Raven Lee and Olivia Scarborough.
"Without a doubt our five seniors made our program better," said Peterson. "They made each one of our lives better, were fully committed to who we are and did their part to contribute to the legacy of our success. They will always be a part of our Campbell Softball family and we wish them well in the days ahead."
