CAROLINA FOREST — The Coastal Carolina softball team walked away Friday night with a different outcome than it sought after.

The Chanticleers took down Drexel 8-0, but dropped a 4-2 decision to Albany, splitting a doubleheader during the first day of the Coastal Carolina invitational at Carolina Forest High School.

Despite picking up a win, coach Kelley Green was more concerned with her team’s effort in the loss.

“We’re just not playing very good defense this year,” Green said. “We’ve had errors in almost every game and that’s cost us quite a few runs. We’re just not coming up with plays in pressure situations right now. It’s still early. Starting to get a little concerned, because we are making a lot of mistakes, letting balls drop, and people aren’t stepping up on defense.”

The Chants had chances Friday, but were inconsistent at the plate.

“We had plenty of opportunities offensively in [the loss]. We’re just not getting clutch hits,” Green said. “Even in the first game, we won 8-0, but we had bases loaded a few times, runners in scoring position all game, and we wound up getting eight runs but we didn’t have enough clutch hits in that game either. “We’re just not getting very good quality at-bats in those situations right now. We need more people coming through, and stepping up in pressure situations – whether it be on defense or offense.”

Sophomore Kiana Quolas struck out 10 and tossed a shutout in the win over Drexel. Quolas faced 27 batters in seven innings, allowed three hits and walked one.

“I thought Kiana did a great job in the circle for us,” Green said. “Gave us the outing we needed. A shutout, only a three-hitter and I think she struck out 10; so she did everything we needed her to do.”

Catcher Morgan Noad highlighted a big fifth inning against Drexel. With two outs, Jazmin Daigle singled, Brooke Donovan singled and Jessie Winans drew a walk to load the bases. Then, Noad belted a grand slam over the right-field fence to give Coastal a comfortable 5-0 lead.

“It was nice to see Noad hit that grand slam, that’s always a clutch hit,” Green said. “At the same time, we expect a little more and we had a lot of other innings where we were putting the pressure on them, getting the bases loaded, getting runners in scoring position – I think in all but one inning – and we just didn’t have other people coming through necessarily.

“Good win, we’ll take a win any way we can get it. We’re just not clicking on all cylinders yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing that sometime soon.”

Now that the Chanticleers have seen Albany, they will have to play them again on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. before taking on Wichita State at 6:30 p.m. to cap off the team’s second consecutive doubleheader.

“Hopefully a team that’s a little more fired up,” Green said of what she expects out of her squad. “Hopefully a little more composed in the box and on defense. We just have to take it day-by-day and keep making improvements as individuals. I’m hoping to see some better quality at-bats, especially in pressure situations and picking it up on defense a little bit. Our pitching is doing fine. They’re keeping us in the ballgame. We need to continue getting good pitching and I’m hoping to see a team that’s more intense and hopefully we can make plays.”

Contact MAX McKINNON at 626-0302.