STATESBORO - Hannah Farrell blasted a first-inning two-run home run and freshman Shelby Barfield notched her first collegiate shutout as Georgia Southern softball claimed a Sun Belt Conference series win from visiting Coastal Carolina with Sunday's 3-0 victory at Eagle Field.
The Eagles improved to 15-12 overall and 2-4 in the league with the win, while Coastal Carolina fell to 22-6 overall and 4-2 in the league. Georgia Southern will be next in action on Friday, March 22, visiting UT Arlington for the first of a three game Sun Belt series in Arlington, Texas.
"Today was an outstanding effort," Georgia Southern Head Softball Coach Kim Dean said. "Our team did a good job executing when we needed to. Hannah Farrell being a great leader and senior, driving a ball over the left field bleachers and an outstanding pitching performance by Shelby Barfield. We left the field yesterday thinking we should have had game two. So we let them know that we had to win today, no excuses. Shelby put us on her back and had a great outing, but in general, it was just the team believing and working hard on Sunday."
Farrell's two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning staked the Eagles to a 2-0 lead. Georgia Southern would tack on an extra run in the third inning when an errant relay throw on a potential double play ball allowed Mekhia Freeman to score from third base.
That would be all the offense Barfield (1-1) needed as the freshman spun a masterful three-hitter, walking three and striking out three. Her first shutout came in her longest outing of her young career - previously she had thrown a high of three innings and 31 pitches against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 17. She went the distance in this one, hurling 106 pitches - 63 for strikes and getting 13 fly ball outs and five groundouts to go with her three strikeouts.
Kaitlin Beasley-Polko (13-4) took the loss for the Chanticleers, giving up four hits and three runs - two earned - in six innings of work, walking four while striking out seven.
In addition to Farrell's two-run home run, Freeman finished the day 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Courtney Dean's double led the Chanticleers' three hits.