The Georgia Southern softball team fell to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament, 2-1.

Seventh seeded GS traveled to San Marcos, Texas to take on sixth seeded Coastal Carolina for the first round. When the these two teams met in a three game series around mid-March, GS took two victories and a loss.

Going into the tournament, GS felt confident after a series sweep against rival Georgia State. Senior pitcher Kaylee Ramos was in control on the mound and received Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week for her near perfect performance over the weekend.

“I’ve gotten more relaxed out on the mound,” Ramos said. “It’s a lot easier when you have a good defense behind you because you know they’ll have your back.”

Both teams were held scoreless in the first inning of the tournament, and Coastal took the lead in the second on an Eagle error. Their second run came from a home run by senior infielder Chelsea D’Avilar in the sixth. A homer by senior Macy Coleman put GS on the board in the seventh inning, but it was not enough for a season saving comeback.

The Chanticleers have gone on to defeat UT Arlington and Troy since this victory. At the time of writing, they will take on the winner of Louisiana and Texas State.

“We’ve improved a lot on our communication over the course of the season,” senior infielder Hannah Farrell said.

Thanks to timely hitting, this group of players broke the single season home run record. The team finished the season 23-28 and 9-17 in the conference.

Amanda Arnold, The George-Anne Sports Editor, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu