UT Martin 2, Western Carolina 0
Western Carolina 5, Penn 4
ORLANDO, Fla. -  Western Carolina softball  (7-12) split its games in opening day action at the UCF Spring Fling falling to UT Martin (8-11-1) 2-0 and bouncing back to defeat Penn (0-2) 5-4 Friday.

Western Carolina was held to just two hits falling to the UT Martin 2-0 in the Catamounts first game of the UCF Spring Fling.

Scoreless through the first five innings, UT Martin took advantage of key hits and an error by Western Carolina to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Skyhawks' Lauren Smith scored its first run. With runners on second and third, UT Martin put the tight game out of reach when it plated its second run on a Catamount fielding error.

Sophomore shortstop Karley Harkey notched one of Western Carolina's only two hits in the game, a triple in the fourth inning. Harkey has moved into a tie for first place in the Catamount record books, with former player Kristen Gay, for most triples in a season.

Taylor Sigmon got the Catamounts second hit of the game in the top of the seventh. With two outs, WCU got the tying run on first when Amber Kimrey drew a 3-2 walk. Whitney Haywood struck out to end the Catamount threat and the game.

Jordan Garrett threw a complete game and takes the loss falling to 1-8 on the season. She gave up one earned run on seven hits and struck out six.

Western Carolina 5, Penn 4

Western Carolina exploded for four runs, in the top of the fourth inning, to break open a scoreless game against Penn in its final game of the night.

Courtney Price opened the inning hitting the first triple of her career. Lexi Ross reached first on a Penn fielding error, moving to second, and Price scored on the play for the first run of the game. Kimrey singled past first base off a bunt and Ross moved to third. Brooke Coggins followed with an RBI single that scored Ross. A Penn fielding error, allowing Amelia Griffin to reach first scored Kimrey.  Coggins would score the fourth run of the inning when Griffin stole second.

The Catamounts tacked on a fifth run in the game in the top of the fifth which turned out to be the insurance run Western Carolina would need. Sigmon drew a lead-off walk and advanced to second on an illegal pitch call on the Penn pitcher. Price laid down a beauty of a sacrifice bunt and pushed Sigmon to third and scored on a muffed throw by the Penn third baseman when Ross ground out to third base.

Starting Catamount freshman pitcher Courtney Buchanan cruised through the first four innings holding Penn hitless before the Quakers found the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. Penn scored three runs on three hits to cut the Catamount lead to 5-3.

Western Carolina was held scoreless in the sixth and seventh inning which left Penn a chance to rally in the bottom of the seventh.

Buchanan yielded a one out walk to Penn's Sydney Turchin to open the bottom of the seventh.

Buchanan was lifted after giving up the lead-off walk. Sigmon came in for Buchanan and had a rough start in relief throwing a wild pitch that moved Turchin to second. Sigmon then gave up an RBI single to Elysee Gorney.

Sigmon settled down forcing a ground out and notching a strikeout to end the game. Sigmon was rewarded with her first career save.

Buchanan improved to 3-0 on the season tossing 6.1 innings giving up four runs on three hits and striking out seven. Western Carolina had seven hits in the game with Kimrey going 2-for-3 and scoring a run.

 

Chattanooga 7, Seton Hall 1
Utah 2, Chattanooga 0
CHATTANOOGA,Tenn. – The Chattanooga Mocs softball team split its first two games of the USF Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla., Friday afternoon.  The Mocs topped Seton Hall 7-1 in the first game but fell 2-0 in the latter game to Utah.

Junior Taylor Deason tossed a one-run gem in the Mocs’ first game of the day against Seton Hall.  Winning 7-1 over the Pirates, Deason’s sixth win of the season came on just five hits and three strikeouts.  The only run of the game came on a solo homerun in the fifth inning off the right-hander.

On the offensive side of the ball, UTC posted nine hits.  The Mocs – Sam Taylor, Anyssa Robles and Sarah Beth Roberts– each tallied two hits in the offensive explosion. 

Chattanooga got on the board first in the top of the first inning on a hit and an error.  Alyssa Taylor walked with one out and Robles singled to put runners at first and second.  Sophomore Criket Blanco  walked to load the bases and Roberts put the ball in play to put the runners on the move.  Roberts reached on the fielder’s choice and a fielding error by the Pirates’ catcher allowed Taylor to score on the play, putting UTC up 1-0.

The Mocs added on three more runs in the top of the second on four hits.  Junior Marina Wilkerson led off the inning with her first hit of the season and stole second base.  Senior Kaiti Dutton followed up with a single of her own and Wilkerson advanced to third.  Sam Taylor drove in the innings first run on a single to center, scoring Wilkerson, and Alyssa Taylor was hit by a pitch to load the bases again.  With two outs, Roberts singled through the right side to drive both Taylors around to score, moving to score to 4-0.

Seton Hall claimed its only run of the game in the fifth as Destaso homered to centerfield to lead off the inning, but Deason mowed through the rest of the Pirates’ lineup with a groundout and a double play.

Chattanooga added on its final three runs in the sixth inning on a bases-clearing double.  Wilkerson walked and Sam Taylor singled up the middle to put runners on the corners.  Alyssa Taylor walked and Robles slammed a fly ball to center, missing a homerun by just about a foot, sending the ball off the fence to score all three runners.

The Mocs did not fare as well, however, against Utah in the second game of the evening.  Chattanooga was out-hit 8-2 and out-scored 2-0.

Despite the loss, sophomore Katie Henderson pitched a tough game, allowing just one earned run over six innings of work.  The right-hander fanned three batters and walked just one, forcing seven gounders eight fly outs.

The story of the night was Utah starter Kayce Nieto who was nearly untouchable.  The hurler tossed seven innings of two-hit softball, facing only the minimum amount of Chattanooga batters through 5.2 innings. 

Robles and senior Tyler Templet were the lone Chattanooga hitters to find hits in the game.  Dutton was the only other Moc to reach base, finding her way to first on an error.

Utah scored its only runs of the game in the first and second innings, scoring on a single to right from shortstop Anissa Urtez.  The second run came courtesy of a Chattanooga throwing error after Hannah Flippen singled to right with two runners on.