Chattanooga Knocks Out Memphis; Faces Alabama Tomorrow
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Senior third baseman Tiffany Baker had a career day blasting three two-run homers as the Lady Mocs defeated Jackson State, 8-1, and then knocked off Memphis, 2-1, to advance to the championship game of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional against Alabama. The contest with the Crimson Tide is set to being at 2 p.m. (E.D.T) on Sunday.
The three homers for the East Ridge, Tenn., native moved her Chattanooga single-season record to 18 and SoCon all-time leading total to 50. She has now hit four home runs in her career during the NCAA Tournament at Rhoads Stadium.
Senior pitcher Kandice Irwin started and went 4.2 innings registering three strikeouts. Junior Michelle Fuzzard tossed 2.1 innings of relief to record the victory and improve to 18-6 on the season.
Coming back in with two outs in the seventh was Irwin, who fanned the final batter and earned her eighth save of the year. She now has 21 saves and moved into a tie for third with Mallory Alred, Canisus (2006-09).
The Lady Mocs started the first with an infield single to short by senior center fielder Lyndsey Stiles. A sacrifice bunt to the pitcher moved Stiles to second.
During a 10-pitch at bat in the third, sophomore first baseman Kasey Tydignco drew a walk and took second on a groundout. A single by junior shortstop Jessica Traxler up the middle allowed head coach Frank Reed to send the runner home, but was gunned out by the center fielder Kamri Chester to end the frame.
Memphis made a pitching change in the fourth bringing in Carly Hmmel, who one-hit the Lady Mocs in the first game of the regional. Senior designated player Michelle Fuzzard started off the frame with a single to left, but freshman Layne Rainey, who came in to pinch run, was left stranded.
With one out in the fifth, Traxler hit a drive to left that the Lelani Bernardino was able catch at the base of the fence.
The Tigers threatened in the fifth as Jessica Phillips singled through the right side and took second on a sacrifice bunt. A single up the middle put runners on the corners with one out and in came Fuzzard to pitch. She induced a foul out to the catcher and a strikeout to end the frame.
The sixth inning started for Chattanooga as Fuzzard was plunked with a pitch. Baker then drove a shot over the fence in left center providing the Lady Mocs with a 2-0 lead.
Memphis drew a walk to start off the seventh and a one-out hit-by-pitch put two runners on the base paths. A foul out to the catcher was the second out of the frame and Nikki Moreno delivered a RBI single to left cutting the lead to one, 2-1.
After head coach Frank Reed went to talk to his pitcher Fuzzard, he decided to go with closer Irwin, who fanned the final hitter and secure the victory.
Throwing in the circle for the Tigers was Janelle Valle and Hummel, who combined for two strikeouts. Moreno notched two of the four hits for Memphis during the contest.
Chattanooga Scores Eight to Eliminate Jackson State
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2002 on Saturday afternoon against Jackson State, 8-1, at the Tuscaloosa Regional. Senior pitcher Nikki Water tossed a gem against the Tigers striking out nine in the complete game two hitter. The Lady Mocs are currently battling Memphis in the loser's bracket final for the right to play on Sunday against Alabama.
The offense came alive in a five-run fourth as senior third baseman Tiffany Baker recorded a two-run blast. She added another in the seventh to increase her career total to 49 leading the Southern Conference and Chattanooga all-time charts.
Waters continued her dominance in the circle for the Lady Mocs and improved to 14-4 on the season.
Notching multi-hit games were Morimoto, Tydingco and Baker. Junior shortstop Jessica Traxler and senior center fielder Lyndsey Stiles each registered two RBI.
The eight runs scored were the most in NCAA Tournament history for the Lady Mocs softball program. Chattanooga improved its overall record to 4-14 in regional action. The last victory for Chattanooga was a 6-1 win over Florida Atlantic in Tallahassee, Fla., on May 17, 2002.
Chattanooga was the first threaten with a runner in scoring position during the second as junior catcher Vivian Morimoto drew a four-pitch walk and sophomore first baseman Kasey Tydingco singled to center with one out. Jackson State left fielder Sims caught a hard liner down the left field line to save extra bases for senior right fielder Della Harrison.
In the fourth, junior designated player Michelle Fuzzard was hit by the first pitch of her at bat and senior third baseman Tiffany Baker drove a liner over the fence in center to provide the Lady Mocs with a 2-0 lead. It was the 48th homer of her career, 16th this season and second in a NCAA Regional (2008 vs. Texas).
After Morimoto was pitched around for the second time in the game, freshman Kaiti Dutton, who entered the game defensively in the third, hit a ball to second as the infielder applied the tag to the runner, but the ball came out of the glove. A single into the gap in right center plated Morimoto from second and put two runners in scoring position.
Registering her fifth triple of the year, Stiles crushed a pitch that one-hopped the fence in right center and cleared the bases to extend the Chattanooga lead to 5-0.
Starting off the seventh was Fuzzard with a double to left, then Baker blasted a no-doubt shot over the fence in left for her second of the game. Back-to-back singles by Morimoto and Tydingco continued the offensive outburst. A walk issued to Dutton loaded the bases and everyone was safe as the shortstop's throw to the plate was late, 8-0.
The Lady Mocs loaded the bases in the fifth as Baker was hit, Morimoto singled down the right field line and Tydingco walked, but they were unable to add to their advantage.
LeEthel Guillory and Nicole O'Grady combined in the circle for the Tigers and struck out one. Anesha McClendon and Arianna Smith tallied the two hits for Jackson State.