Box Score (PDF)
Big South Championship Information
Tournament bracket (PDF)
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BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Coastal Carolina twice rallied from deficits to defeat host Campbell 4-3 Thursday evening in the opening round of the Big South Conference Softball Championship at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
The second-seeded Chanticleers (32-22) trailed 2-0 and 3-2 before taking the lead for good in the fifth inning to advance to Friday's 4:30 p.m. winner's bracket game against either Presbyterian or Winthrop. Seventh-seeded Campbell (28-26) will face the loser of the Winthrop-PC game Friday in an 11:30 a.m. elimination game.
Campbell jumped in front in the top of the third on Camise Patterson's 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. However, the Chants drew even in the bottom of the frame when Kory Hayden drew a two-out walk and Morgan Noad followed with her 22nd homer of the year.
Brittany Bruce doubled in the fourth and moved to third on a sacrifice by Bailey Bjorson, then scored on Melissa Tuller's two-out infield hit to put the Camels up 3-2.
But again, Coastal answered with Kelsey Dominik's solo homer – her 11th of the year – to tie the game at three after four innings.
Bri Chuisano led off the Coastal fifth with a triple and scored what proved to be the winning run on Hayden's sacrifice fly.
Coastal starter Kiana Quolas (17-10) retired the final seven Campbell batters to seal a complete-game, five-hit win.
Campbell starter Julia Callicutt (14-9), who entered the game on a four-decision win streak after tossing back-to-back one-hitters last weekend at Presbyterian, allowed four runs on six hits in five 1/3 innings with one walk and four strikeouts.
Earlier Thursday, ninth seed Gardner-Webb defeated eighth seed Radford 8-6 in a single elimination game. Fifth-seeded Charleston Southern topped fourth seed Liberty 4-3 and top-seeded Longwood downed Gardner-Webb 15-2 in five innings.
Liberty and Gardner-Webb begin Friday's action in a 9:00 a.m. elimination game. The tournament continues Saturday before concluding with Sunday's 2:00 p.m. "winner take all" championship game.
