Chattanooga 7, Jacksonville 2
Chattanooga 5, Sam Houston 2
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Softball team claimed its fourth and fifth–consecutive win as the Mocs (10-4) defeated Jacksonville, 7-2 and Sam Houston State, 5-2. UTC is currently the only undefeated team in the South Alabama Invitational.
In its first game of the day, Chattanooga exploded for seven runs over six and half innings to down the Dolphins, 7-2. Junior Alyssa Taylor led off the scoring with a homer to left field, giving the Mocs a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
The next UTC blast came in the bottom of the third inning with junior Sam Taylor on at second base andSarah Beth Roberts on first with two outs. Senior Nicole Osterman hammered out Chattanooga's second home run of the game, claiming a three RBI and pushing UTC's lead to three.
The Mocs kept their momentum in the fourth inning, scoring two more runs. Sam Taylor doubled to left field, advancing Marina Wilkerson to third. Roberts drove in Wilkerson on a sacrifice while Taylor to advance to third. Osterman singled to right center to drive in Taylor, setting the score, 5-0.
The Dolphins would get two hits in the top of the fifth, capitalizing a UTC fielding error.
Refocused, the Mocs would close out the game with one more run in the bottom of the sixth. Osterman claimed her fifth RBI as her double to right center in scored Roberts.
Deason picked up the win, improving to 5-2. She only allowed three runs and pitched five strike outs to Jacksonville’s Rossman one strike out.
The Mocs carried over their energy into their second game of the day against Sam Houston State. UTC took an early lead as Osterman doubled in in Sam Taylor in the top of the first inning.
A double from Alyssa Taylor in the top of the fourth ignited four more runs for the Mocs. Criket Blanco would score on Taylor’s (Alyssa) hit and Kailey Palazzolo raced home off of Wilkerson’s single to right field.
The third run came on a sacrifice fly ball by Sam Taylor to left field, driving in Alyssa Taylor. J.J. Hamillclaimed the last RBI with a double to left center, forcing Sam Houston State to switch out pitchers.
Sam Houston State’s Jessica Slater and Meme Quinn were credited with RBIs as the Bearkats scored a run in both the fourth and fifth frames, but the Mocs ultimately kept the lead and took the game, 5-2.
Cori Jennings garnered the win, setting her record at 3-1. She registered six strikeouts and only allowed one walk.
The Mocs look to cap of a successful weekend with their sixth-straight win as they face Ball State on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET
Samford 12, Valparaiso 1
Samford 4, Houston Baptist 3
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team saw its win streak grow to eight games after a pair of wins over Valparaiso University (12-1) and Houston Baptist University (4-3) on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Samford Field.
The Bulldogs (12-2) cruised its way to victory in its first game of the day against the Crusaders (3-6). Samford tallied 17 hits and forced VU to toss four pitchers en route to the 12-1 thumping.
Redshirt junior Mollie Hanson (6-1) pitch four innings of shutout ball as she struck out two with only one hit and no walks in the effort.
Valparaiso's only run of the game came in the top of the fifth against senior Shelby Scott who came in relief of Hanson to close out the game.
Junior Callie Brister led the charge at the plate as she went a perfect 3 for 3 with four RBI and three runs scored. Brister also belted a two run home run in the second inning of play.
Samford picked up yet another walk-off win the following game against Houston Baptist.
The Bulldogs led 2-0 over the Huskies (5-8) for a majority of the game thanks in part to a Abby Sweeney solo homerun and an RBI single by junior Megan Dowdy in the second inning.
The Huskies even the score 2-2 in the fourth on a two-run home run to straight away center field and eventually took the lead 3-2 in the top of the eighth inning.
Hanson came in relief of Rebecca Leonard, who pitched a solid game aside from the home run given up in the fourth, in the top of the seventh. Leonard pitched six complete innings with five strikeouts to match five hits and four walks from the circle.
Freshman Karsin Spinks tied the game in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double to score senior Abby Adams and the reigning SoCon Player of the Week closed out the game with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Dowdy from third.
The Bulldogs hit the road for the first time since opening weekend to take on the University of South Alabama on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Mobile, Ala. First-pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
Furman 4, Gardner-Webb 0
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Freshman Lindsey Bert hurled a one-hit shutout and senior Taylor Jenkins belted a fourth-inning grand slam to propel Furman to a 4-0 victory over the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs in the finale of the Paladin Softball Classic on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium.
Bert, making her fourth career start, fanned five batters in seven innings of work while issuing only a sixth-inning infield single to even her record to 2-2 in the circle. The left-hander retired 13 consecutive batters after allowing a first-inning base on balls before Jill Blank's sharp grounder skipped off of the end of Natalie Clemmons' glove to open the sixth inning.
Furman got all the offense it would need in the bottom of the fourth inning. Elise Smith was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to third base on Sieara Bishop's double into the right-center field gap off of Gardner-Webb starter Summer Darnell. Bert drew a walk to load the bases and Jenkins put Furman in front by lining a 2-2 pitch off of the top of the right-center field fence and over for a grand slam.
Bishop and Smith each recorded double for the Paladins who tallied three of their four hits in the fourth inning.
Darnell took the loss for Gardner-Webb to slip to 1-3 on the season. She allowed four runs on three hits in three and 1/3 innings of work. Ashley Wark tossed two and 2/3 innings of shutout ball while allowing just one hit.
The Paladins continue their homestand on Wednesday when they host Atlantic Sun Conference power USC Upstate in a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Pepsi Stadium.
Gardner-Webb opened the day by scoring a 7-5 victory over preseason Atlantic-10 Conference favorite Fordham in game three of the Paladin Classic.
Kansas 2, Mercer 0
Mercer 3, Liberty 0
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Mercer University softball team split a pair of games on day two of the Aquafina Invitational. Mercer (7-6) was defeated by Kansas (13-1) in the first game 2-0 but rebounded against Liberty (4-8) to win 3-0.
The Bears posted another strong defensive performance in their first game of day three action, allowing four hits through six innings. Kirsten Stevens provided six solid innings, striking out five batters in her fourth complete game of the year.
The game remained a stalemate through the first four innings. Mercer had a chance to take the lead in the second, but left runners stranded on second and third. Kansas added the only two runs of the game in the fifth inning assisted by a Mercer error. Kirsten Stevens picks up her second loss of the Invitational, as the Bears move to 6-6 on the year.
Mercer continued their tough defensive play in their third game of the Aquafina Invitational, as they beat Liberty 3-0. Anna O'Neill picked up her third win of the season in dominant fashion. The sophomore allowed four hits through seven innings, while recording nine strikeouts.
The Bears got the bats going in the fifth inning, led off by Emma Andrew's single into left field. Meghan Rud would record the first RBI of the game, as her single to center field would score Andrew. Rud scored an unearned run minutes later off of Riley Carter's single to center field, assisted by a Liberty error.
Mercer would add another run in the sixth inning to push the lead to three for the final run of the game. Molly Garmany reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third off of a Quirisa Mauga double. Garmany would then score off of a wild pitch. O'Neill moves to 3-1 on the year as the Bears head into the final day of the Invitational.
Mercer will look to harness their momentum as they face the defending national champions, Florida, in double-header action on the final day of the Aquafina Invitational. The Bears will face off against the gators at 12:00 p.m. and 2:15 p.m EST.