No. 3 Georgia Southern 3, No. 1 Chattanooga 0
No. 2 Elon 6, No. 4 UNC Greensboro 4
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Behind a four-run sixth inning, Elon clinched its first trip to the title game at the 2010 Southern Conference Softball Championship. The second-seeded Phoenix downed No. 4 UNC Greensboro 6-4.
UNC Greensboro (26-29) will face Georgia Southern (29-16) Friday at 11 a.m. Elon (37-19) will take on the winner of that game at 1:30 p.m. for the title.
With the bases loaded in the sixth, UNCG's Cory Mattson walked both Lauren Taylor and Tomeka Watson to bring in two runs. A fielding error in left scored Taylor and Watson as Elon took a 6-1 lead.
UNC Greensboro mounted a comeback, scoring three runs in the sixth. A single by Heather Robb plated Eileen Horsmon to pull the Spartans within two. The Phoenix made a pitching change, bringing in Erin O'Shea to relieve Lauren Taylor. Whitney Sirois tripled to right center, scoring Robb and Jordan Jewett and making the score 6-4. Taylor was able to strike out the next two batters, and a fly out by Kristen Gabel ended the inning.
Taylor picked up the win, pitching five innings while allowing 11 hits, four runs and striking out three. O'Shea earned the save, retiring four and surrendering two hits.
Amber Harrell suffered the loss, giving up two earned runs in four innings of work. She tallied seven strikeouts.
UNC Greensboro got on the board early as Alex Emeterio singled to the pitcher and brought in Brittany Ausley in the bottom of the first. Elon responded in the top of the second to tie the game at one. Ashlee Crewe stole second base, and Tomeka Watson then singled to left center, only to advance to second on the throw and score Crewe.
The Phoenix tacked on another run in the fourth as Crewe doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a fumbled catch.
In the earlier game, Megen Smith blasted her second round-tripper of the day and struck out three on the mound as No. 3 Georgia Southern topped No. 1 Chattanooga 3-0.
With the second loss, defending tournament champion Chattanooga (38-17) was eliminated.
Jenny Side hit a solo home run to right field and put the Eagles up 1-0 in the second inning. Side and Kelly Burnett each went 1-for-2 and along with Smith accounted for GSU's three hits in the game.
In the bottom of the third Marie Fogle reached base on a fielding error. She was plated by Smith, who tallied her 18th home run of the season and with that moved into second place on the league's single-season home run list. She trails first by three.
Smith also earned the win in the circle, pitching 4.1 innings, while surrendering four hits and no earned runs. Brianna Streetmon came on in relief, retiring four in 2.2 innings of work.
Kandice Irwin suffered the loss, giving up three hits and three runs, of which one was earned. She struck out three. Irwin was relieved by Brooke Loudermilk who struck out six and did not allow a hit.
The Lady Mocs tallied four hits to the Eagles' three, but UTC left eight runners on base. Lyndsey Stiles, Tia Blosser, Lauren Flores and Jessica Traxler each registered a hit for Chattanooga.