Chattanooga 12, Samford 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A seventh inning pinch hit grand slam by junior Della Harrison (Nashville, Tenn.) gave the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team a 12-1 victory at Samford leading to a sweep the three game series. Junior Lauren Flores (Ft. Ogelthorpe, Ga.) broke the game wide open with a bases loaded triple to give the Lady Mocs a 7-0 lead in the second inning.
"I thought that we hit the ball well all weekend," said head coach Frank Reed. "I felt like that we had a lot of opportunities that did not fall in for us. I thought that we let them hang around for two games and made them feel like they could [steal a game]. We gradually scored some runs early and hit the ball really well today. Della had a big hit in the seventh inning to cap it off. She also came through yesterday. We got to build off that and take care of business after sweeping on the road."
Taking the mound for Chattanooga (2-8, 6-0 SoCon) was junior Nikki Waters (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.), who relieved Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) after she walked the first batter on four illegal pitches. Waters went the distance for the Lady Mocs striking out five Samford (9-18, 1-8 SoCon) hitters and only yielding one run on three hits.
Junior Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.), senior Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.), Waters, Flores and freshman Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.) each had two hits on the day as the Lady Mocs recorded 12. Flores, Harrison and Waters each had multi-RBI games.
For Samford taking the mound in the first was Stephanie Royall, who walked Waters with the bases loaded to give Chattanooga a 1-0 lead. Starting off the game was Stiles with a single to the pitcher and then Blosser doubled hitting the left field fence on one bounce.
Control problems continued for Royall after singles by Flores up the middle and Poteat into shallow left center to put two runners on. Royall walked the next three and hit junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.), the fifth time in the series, making the score 2-0 in favor of UTC after was out Flores trying to advance home on a wild pitch. Waters come through with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly by senior Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) put the Lady Mocs up 4-0.
With the bases still loaded and two outs, Flores drove a pitch the other way down the right field line for a triple and three RBI as Chattanooga scored for the seventh time in the inning. It was the second career triple for Flores, who hit one against North Florida on Feb. 22, 2009.
"I knew when they shifted that I was going to get a slower pitch because they assumed that I was going to pull it," said Flores. "I moved up in the box and tried to take it to right field."
In the fourth inning with runners on first and second, Rachael Reeves for the Bulldogs singled up the middle scoring the only run on the afternoon for Samford.
After three hits over the next four innings, the Lady Mocs' offense flexed its muscles in the seventh when Flores reached on an error, Poteat singled through the right side and Stiles walked to load the bases.
All setting the stage for coach Reed to pinch hit Harrison for senior Kaiti Kelley (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and she did not disappoint driving the ball over the fence in center for the first home run of her career. It was the second grand slam that Chattanooga hit on the weekend as Blosser connected on one in the second game on Saturday against the Bulldogs.
"Today that pitch was like a big pumpkin," said Harrison following the game. "I was expecting to get a hit and drive some runs, but not that [a grand slam]."
For Samford, Amanda Barrs was credited for the loss dropping her record to 1-11 on the season. She pitched five innings strikingout one, while Royal toed the rubber for two innings.
The Lady Mocs are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Atlanta, Ga. to battle Georgia State with the first pitch of a doubleheader scheduled for 5 p.m.
Chattanooga returns to Southern Conference this weekend when it hosts Western Carolina for a three-game series. Due to Easter weekend, the first game of the series will be on Friday night at 6 p.m. and the doubleheader is on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Elon 5, College of Charleston 4
ELON, N.C. - The Elon softball team took the rubber game of a three-game set against the College of Charleston (9-16, 1-4) 5-4 to get its third Southern Conference series win. Elon (20-7, 7-2) has won its opening three SoCon series, marking the first time it has done so since joining the league for the 2004 season.
Erin O'Shea lasted six innings in the circle, allowing four runs, two of them earned, on six hits to help her improve to 10-2 on the season. She also pitched her way out of a couple jams, including three with runners in scoring position. O'Shea registered three strikeouts and walked three.
The Phoenix wasted no time getting runs on the board as it took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning courtesy of a two-out, two-run double off the bat of O'Shea. The double scored Jackie Gonzalez, who reached on a walk and Tomeka Watson who registered a double of her own two batters earlier.
Charleston's Amanda Lonergan answered with a leadoff double in the top of the second. She and Katie Pesature, who walked, were left stranded as O'Shea coaxed Katie Nutaitis to fly out to center field to end the Cougar threat.
The Phoenix tacked a pair of runs in the top of the second to make it a 4-0 game. Caitlin McGowan started the frame with a single up the middle. Danielle Lafferty followed with a double that hugged the left field line and scored McGowan from first. Still with nobody out, Hannah Shelton sent a 1-1 pitch over the CofC leftfielder Lonergan's head for a RBI-double that plated Lafferty and gave Elon a 4-0 edge.
It would be the top of the fifth when the Cougars made their mark with a single run against O'Shea. CofC's Hillary Stringer lifted a 2-1 pitch over the centerfield wall, making it a 4-1 game. Kristi Woodall followed with single into the gap in right center. With two runners on, O'Shea caught the final batter looking to end the inning.
The Cougars cut into the Elon lead further in the top of the sixth when Kelley Dillon hit a solo home run to left field that made it a 4-2 game.
Elon added a run of insurance in the bottom of the sixth when O'Shea reached on a fielding error and McGowan hit a laser up the middle to put runners at first and third. Pam DelPizzo came in to hit for Lafferty, a decision that proved to be wise as she knocked a single to shallow center that scored O'Shea and made it a 5-2 game.
The insurance run was needed as CofC used a pair of walks, a wild pitch and a passed ball to cut the lead to 5-3 in the top of the seventh. With runners at the corners, Lonergan hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Amber Shiflett from third, making it a one-run game, 5-4. New Elon pitcher Kari Pervell got the final batter to ground out to McGowan at third to pick up the save and seal the win. Pervell threw one inning of relief, registering one strikeout and issuing a walk.
Alexa Datko suffered the loss to fall to 2-7 on the year. She allowed four runs on five hits in one inning in the circle. She also walked one and struck out one. Terri Mesko threw five innings in relief, allowing just one unearned run on three hits and walk. She also fanned two batters.
The Phoenix will play the first of five games in Greensboro, N.C. on Wednesday when it takes on non-conference foe North Carolina A&T in a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m. Elon will conclude its Triad tour next weekend with a three-game stint at UNC Greensboro.