HOME RUNS LEAD CHATTANOOGA TO SPLIT WITH MARSHALL
Chattanooga, Tenn. ? Sophomore third baseman Toni Hutchison’s (Madison, Tenn.) three-run home run lifted Chattanooga over Marshall 4-0 in game two of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
Freshman pitcher Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) improved her record to 11-7, chalking up her fifth shut out of the season with nine strikeouts, no walks and allowing only two hits.
She now has 154 strikeouts and has broken into the career record books sitting ninth place overall for total strikeouts.
Loudermilk pitched four strikeouts on seven batters in the first two innings giving up only one hit to Rachel Folden.
Hutchison recorded the first hit for the Lady Mocs in the bottom of the second but was thrown out at second base to end the inning with the score still 0-0.
The Lady Mocs had another quick three outs in the top of the third with a popped up foul ball to the catcher, Loudermilk’s fifth strikeout and a line drive to junior shortstop Tara Tembey (Folsom, Calif.).
Sophomore right fielder Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.) reached on a two-out walk in the bottom of the third before stealing second, her second stolen base this season, during senior left fielder Jeannie Cochran’s (Maryville, Tenn.) at bat, but the inning retired with a pop-up to the short stop with the game still scoreless.
Tembey hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman catcher Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) hit a single to the left side before sophomore second baseman Carey Cooper (Sweetwater, Tenn.) singled down the right field line.
Hutchison picked up her second hit of the game with the three-run home run, her first of the season, scoring Eason and Cooper, over the left field fence to put Chattanooga up 4-0 after four innings.
Marshall picked up its second hit of the game in the top of the fifth by Gina Guzzo but the Herd was still held scoreless after five.
Both teams recorded three quick outs in the sixth before two strikeouts, a ground out and a pop up to Tembey ended the game.
Marshall was led by Folden and Guzzo with one hit each. Pitcher Amanda Luers had two strikeouts.
The Lady Mocs begin conference play hosting Georgia Southern on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Elon Downs Jacksonville in Doubleheader Action
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- Elon took two games from Jacksonville on Tuesday afternoon at the JU Softball Complex. The Phoenix scored three runs with the help of a two-out error to earn a 5-1 win over the Dolphins in game one. Elon used another two-out rally in game two to score nine runs in the sixth inning to secure a 16-3 victory.
In game one, the Phoenix broke a scoreless tie in the second inning by adding two runs with a two-out fielder's choice and a throwing error by Pat Melo to take the early lead. After the error, Patti Webber drove home Brandi Jones to give Elon a 3-0 advantage.
Elon (15-14) extended its lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning from a two-run double by Jaymie Shanahan.
Alexis Mora and Ashley Novak had back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the seventh inning. Shannon Jensen followed with a walk from Phoenix starter Melanie Helterbran to load the bases. After a pop out, Simone Bruemmer brought home Mora on a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Dolphins their first run, but the rally was short lived as Helterbran got Valerie Alter to fly out to end the game.
Helterbran (8-4) earned the win in the circle after allowing only one run on four hits and striking out three batters in seven innings.
Jensen (2-10) was tagged with the loss for JU by surrendering five runs on eight hits in seven innings.
Weber led Elon from the plate, going 2-for-3 while Shanahan added three RBI.
Tracey Dahlen, the reigning SoCon "Player of the Week," helped give Elon a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two after scoring on a two-out error by Jensen.
In the fifth inning, the Phoenix tallied five runs on five hits and two Dolphin errors to take 6-0 lead. Jaimie Rao had an RBI double that scored Debbie Zeigler from second and Laurin Smith singled to right field to score Helterbran and Rao. Smith scored on an error and Weber knocked an RBI singled to score Jones.
The Dolphins (7-26) would not back down as they scored three runs off five hits in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 6-3 ballgame.
Mora, Novak and Sara Gordon hit three consecutive run-scoring singles during the inning to help JU.
Elon added a run in the top of the fourth inning as Dahlen knocked her fourth home run in four days to give Elon a 7-3 lead.
The Phoenix put the game out of the Dolphins' reach in the sixth inning by scoring nine runs with the help of two-out grand slams by Jones and Zeigler to secure a 16-3 victory.
Elon starter Carol Lilley (6-7) earned the win allowing three runs in six innings of work.
Brittany Abbott (0-4) took the loss for JU after giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits in 2.2 innings. Katie Buell and Ashley Iveson each logged time in relief for JU.
Dahlen was 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBI and three runs while Rao and Smith each collected two hits. Smith tallied two RBI while Zeigler and Jones each posted four RBI.
Elon returns to action on Saturday, March 24 in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at College of Charleston to open the Southern Conference season.