Georgia State 2, Chattanooga 1 (8 innings)
Chattanooga 4, Georgia State 1
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - After rain pushed the twinbill back a day, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team was able to win game two, 4-2, after falling in eight innings, 2-1, to Georgia State at Frost Stadium on Thursday. Senior left fielder Lyndsey Stiles and junior catcher Vivian Morimoto paced the Lady Mocs with three hits each, while sophomore first baseman Kasey Tydingco drove in two runs.
The Lady Mocs improved to 22-8 on the season with the win, while the Panthers have compiled a 16-16 mark.
Picking up her fifth win of the campaign was senior Nikki Waters going five innings and yielding just an earned run and striking out four.
Classmate Kandice Irwin notched her fifth save of the year to tie the NCAA lead this season. She also moved into a tie for eighth all-time in the NCAA record books with her 18th career save. She is tied with Stacey Nelson (Florida, 2006-09), Christi Ecks (USF, 2006-09), Melisssa Porche (Missouri State, 2005-08), Bonnie Bynum (Tennessee Tech, 2004-07), Aleca Johnson (South Carolina, 2002-05), Jennifer Johnson (Minnesota, 1994-97), and Kasey Marshall (Missouri, 1992-95). The record with 32, but with four more saves she can move into third all-time.
Chattanooga returns to action this weekend with a conference series at preseason-favorite Elon. The three-game set begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and concludes Sunday with the finale at the same time.
GoMocs.com, the official website of Chattanooga Athletics will have coverage of the series with live stats and an audio broadcast available on MocsVision. Links to both events can be accessed on the softball schedule page.
Game One: Georgia State 2, Chattanooga 1 (8 Inn.)
The Lady Mocs notched the first run of the contest, but the Panthers were able to score the go-ahead run in the eighth for the victory. Morimoto drove in the only run during the contest as four Lady Mocs notched base hits.
Junior Michelle Fuzzard was impressive in the circle tossing five innings for the Lady Mocs giving up a single earned run and two hits, while striking out three. Chattanooga reliever Irwin came on to throw the final three innings and surrendered an earned run and fanned two.
Notching hits for Chattanooga were senior right fielder Della Harrison, sophomore first baseman Kasey Tydingco, Morimoto and Stiles.
After a scoreless first, a one-out double off the wall in left by Tydingco set up the Lady Mocs to break through with the first run of the contest in the second. Morimoto came through with a single through the right side.
As Tydingco was sent home by head coach Frank Reed, the right fielder Audrey Mason made a perfect throw to the plate, but the runner was able to touch the plate seconds before the tag was applied allowing Chattanooga to take a 1-0 lead.
Georgia State led off the fourth with a solo home run by Paige Nowaki. It was her second of the season tying the contest at one. Senior center fielder Lyndsey Stiles made a diving catch in left center field to save extra bases for the second out of the frame.
In the fifth, Fuzzard was efficient as she retired the side on five pitches all thanks to the help of the Lady Mocs defense.
Irwin came in to throw the final three frames for the Lady Mocs as a battle ensued of top closers between the Knoxville, Tenn., native and Erin Collins. Each have notched four saved this season and are tied for fifth in the nation in saves at four.
As the game went to extras, Chattanooga was able to get the runner placed on second out at home on a fielder's choice following a sac bunt as sophomore second baseman Sara Poteat made a great throw to Mormimoto, who tagged the runner out for the second out of the inning.
The Panthers would not go down easy as Jessica Clifton, who reached first on the fielder's choice, stole second and eventually scored the go-ahead run on a Lauren Jones double as the right fielder slipped on the wet grass. Irwin was able to produce an inning-ending groundout from the next batter.
With Traxler starting the frame on second, Flores used a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third with one out. A safety squeeze off the bat of Stiles kept Traxler at third and the speedy leadoff hitter advanced the first witout a throw.
With two outs, Fuzzard appeared to provide the Lady Mocs with a walk off three-run home run over the center field fence. Unfortunately, she was not properly reenter as a designated player after freshman Layne Rainey pinch ran for her in the sixth. Fuzzard was called out on the play as Georgia State interim head coach Roger Kincaid approached the umpires appealing that the Lady Mocs batted out of order.
Collins picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the season by striking out two. Starter Alana Thomas threw five innings and fanned two during the contest.
Game Two: Chattanooga 4, Georgia State 1
The Lady Mocs returned to their winning ways in the nightcap with a 4-1 victory over Georgia State. Waters threw a four hitter through five innings to pick up the win and Irwin sealed the game by notching the save.
Leading the Lady Mocs offensively was Stiles, Fuzzard and Morimoto, who each had multi-hit games. Tydingco knocked in two runs on a double the left center.
Once again, Chattanooga scored the first run of the contest as Stiles beat out an infield single to third and promptly stole her conference-leading 20th base of the season. A miscue by the shortstop off the bat of Fuzzard allowed Stiles to take third and Baker singled off the fence down the right field line as Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead.
Going to the third, Fuzzard led off with a single to left and pinch runner Rainey stole her second base of the season. An insurance run was added as Harrison singled to left center putting Chattanooga up 2-0.
Leading off the fifth, Fuzzard singled in front of the center fielder and Baker was hit by a 3-2 pitch. The bases were cleared on a Tydingco double into the left centerfield gap increasing the Lady Mocs run total to four.
The Panthers stuck for their first run of the game off Waters as Emily Althafer led off with a lined doubled to left and Emily Whitaker drove her in with a single through the right side. Georgia State continued to threaten as Megan Kallatsa doubled down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position.
Now in a save situation, coach Reed did not hesitate in going to his bullpen to bring in Irwin, who struck out the first two hitters she faced, induced a grounder for the final out of the frame.
She continued to roll in the seventh and shutdown the Panthers offense for her fifth save of the season.
For the Panters, McCall Langford and Kaitlyn Medlum combined for the six innings and three strikeouts. Five Georgia State players registered a single hit during the contest.
Alabama 7, College of Charleston 1
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The College of Charleston softball team fell to the best team in the nation, Alabama, 7-1, at Patriots Point on Thursday night.
CofC drops to 21-13 on the year while No. 1 Alabama improves to 33-2.
Alexa Datko was tagged with the loss in the game but pitched well in striking out five hitters and walking just one in 4.1 innings of work. Stephanie Saylors pitched the remaining 2.2 innings and struck out five hitters as well.
Kristi Woodall was 2-for-3 on the game with two doubles and an RBI. Katie Pesature was 1-for-2 and scored CofC's lone run.
The Cougars kept the Crimson Tide off the board until the fourth inning when Jennifer Fenton homered to left center.
Alabama put four on the board in the fifth, highlighted by a three-run home run by Keima Davis.
The Tide plated one more in the sixth with a sacrifice fly by Kendall Dawson which scored Kayla Braud.
The Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Pesature walked and Woodall doubled into the left center to bring her to the plate.
The Cougars reopen Southern Conference play with a weekend series at Appalachian State. The teams play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2 and the series conclusion on Sunday, April 3.
Samford Softball Doubleheader Against Belmont Rained Out
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The Samford softball team's doubleheader with Belmont that was scheduled for 3:30 p.m., has been canceled due to inclement weather in Nashville, Tenn.
The Bulldogs were slated to play two against the Bruins on their way out of town to take on Georgia Southern this weekend. The doubleheader would have kicked off a seven-game road swing for Samford.
Samford has scheduled makeup games with Mississippi State for early May. Exact dates and times are still to be determined.
The Bulldogs will take on SoCon No. 2 Georgia Southern this weekend in a conference series that starts Saturday at 12 p.m. CT with a doubleheader. Samford and GSU will then closed out the weekend on Sunday with a single game at 12 p.m.