SoCon Softball Tournament Central
Game 2: #1 Chattanooga 3, #8 Western Carolina 1
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MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Chattanooga rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Western Carolina in the first round of the 2008 Southern Conference Softball Championship at the Patriots Point Athletics Complex.
The top-seeded Lady Mocs (36-19) move on to face No. 5 seed UNC Greensboro Thursday at 3:00 p.m. No. 8 seed Western Carolina (19-35) will take on fourth-seeded Elon at 10:00 a.m. Thursday in the first elimination game of the day.
Chattanooga second baseman Tiffany Baker went 3-for-3 from the plate, including a game-tying RBI double to left-center field in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the Lady Mocs trailing 1-0, Ashlan Clarkson reached on a bases on balls and came home on Baker’s double to even the score at 1-1. Brittany Eason followed a sacrifice bunt with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Baker. Michelle Fuzzard added an insurance run when she drove home Tara Tembey to give UTC a 3-1 advantage.
Sophomore pitcher Brooke Loudermilk struck out 14 batters on the afternoon while surrendering one unearned run and six hits. Her record moved to 14-7 on the year while Lauren Ross took the loss for the Catamounts, falling to 9-18.
Western Carolina grabbed the game’s first run in the top of the sixth inning, capitalizing on an error in left field that allowed Stephanie Beatty to score from first base on a two-out single by Mollie Fowler.
Tembey and Fuzzard each collected two hits for Chattanooga which won its opening round contest for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons.
Game 1: #5 UNC Greensboro 1, #4 Elon 0
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MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ? Hannah Angel pitched a complete-game shutout as No. 5-seed UNC Greensboro defeated fourth-seeded Elon, 1-0, in the first round of the 2008 Southern Conference Softball Championship.
The Spartans manufactured the only run of the game in the sixth inning. Mary Greenway led off the frame with a bunt single and advanced to second on her SoCon-record 48th stolen base of the season. Greenway moved on to third base following a sacrifice bunt, and left fielder Brittany Ausley drove her home with a sharply hit ball to second base.
Both pitchers went the distance in the contest with Angel improving to 12-13 with the victory. She scattered four hits and pitched out of danger in multiple innings as Elon left nine runners on base. Pam DelPizzo, who allowed four hits while striking out four, took the loss for Elon, dropping to 7-8 on the year.
Brandi Jones led Elon with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate.
The victory marks the third consecutive season that the Spartans have won their first-round tournament game despite being lower-seeded team in each contest.
UNCG (22-31) advances to face the winner of the Chattanooga/Western Carolina contest Thursday at 3:00 p.m. while the Phoenix (25-26) will face loser of that game at 10:00 a.m.