Story Courtesy Chattanooga sports information
Chattanooga 11-0, Jacksonville State 3-1
CHATTANOOGA, TN - Chattanooga unloaded eight runs on Jacksonville State in the second inning of game one Tuesday afternoon at Frost Stadium to claim an 11-3 run-rule victory. The Gamecocks came back to win the nightcap 1-0.
The Gamecocks (39-13, 18-5 OVC) loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but could only manage one score on a sacrifice fly from Allie Barker plating Lauren Horwath to put JSU up 1-0. Chattanooga would get that run back in a hurry and add seven more to keep it company in the home half of the frame.
Freshman Toni Hutchison got the scoring started with an RBI double plating the inning’s lead-off batter Ashleigh Bull who reached on a walk. With the bases loaded and the Lady Mocs leading 4-1, Ashlan Clarkson’s grand slam over the left field fence put Chattanooga up 8-1.
Gamecocks’ starter Christine Pierce was pulled from the game after the homerun in favor of Amy Brown who gave up a double to Bull, but forced two outs to get out of the inning.
Chattanooga hung three more runs on the board in the fourth to take a nine-run lead. Ashley Cuticchia, who started the game as shortstop in place of injured sophomore Tara Tembey, was hit by a pitch to start the frame. Clarkson doubled to centerfield to put runners at second and third for Bull who cleared the bags with her 12th homerun of the year. It was UTC’s 43rd homerun, tied for most in a single season set back in 2003.
Jacksonville State’s Daniela Pappano got the first of her two RBI’s in the game in the third inning on a solo homerun to left field. She would plate Jackie Jarman in the fifth, who reached on a leadoff double, to pull the Gamecocks to within eight, but the Lady Mocs’ Ashley Frizzell and the UTC defense would hold on to keep the margin at eight runs and claim an 11-3 run-rule victory.
In the nightcap, Pappano broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning with her second homerun of the day to put Jacksonville State ahead 1-0. Lady Mocs’ starter JayCee Wood had retired 11 straight batters prior to the homer. She struck out six batters on the day, walked just one batter and allowed three hits.
“JayCee was awesome,” Lady Mocs head coach Frank Reed said. “Her pitching kept us in the game. She gave us a chance to get back into the game with her pitching.”
In the Chattanooga half of the seventh inning, Hutchison led off with a single then advanced to third on a single to center by Whittier. With one out, Reed called for a squeeze play, but Amanda Hoiness’ bunt went foul and she would strike out swinging. JSU would get out of the inning and claim a split.
“We caught them totally off guard with the squeeze. Amanda is our best bunter. If she gets it down, we tie the game,” Reed said. “We’ve been hitting the ball great and the kids believed we could win the game going into the seventh. We had the right people coming up.”