Chattanooga 10, Ball State 9
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team claimed its sixth-straight win of the season as the Mocs outpaced the Ball State Cardinals, 10-9 in their final game of the South Alabama Invitational.
UTC concluded the tournament 5-0 against Ball State, No. 22 South Alabama, Jacksonville and Sam Houston State.
Taking the field first, the Mocs made it a short top of the inning as they took down the Cardinals in order.
Once at bat Chattanooga wasted no time in getting on the board. With two outs and senior Sarah Beth Roberts on first, senior Nicole Osterman slammed a home run to right center for a 2-0 lead.
In Ball State’s half of the second Stuedemann’s walk to lead off the inning. Freshman Kailey Palazzolo then sat down the next two on strikeouts. The inning ended with a groundout to third.
Chattanooga upheld its offensive drive with its third run in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, freshman J.J. Hamill reached to first on a fielder’s choice that scored Alyssa Taylor.
Roberts followed with a walk to first to load bases for a second time. That brought up Osterman who smashed her second homerun of the game. That grand slam extended UTC’s lead to 7-0.
However, despite Chattanooga’s lead, the Cardinals would control the fourth inning with six runs to cut the lead to 7-6.
The Mocs responded with a tighten defense in the fifth inning. Jennings recorded two more strikeouts and only one hit. The Cardinals would end the inning with two left on base.
Looking to build on the lead, senior Marina Wilkerson led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to left center. Junior Sam Taylor nailed a double to right center to drive in another run.
With the score 8-6, a switch on the mound for Ball State would keep the Mocs’s efforts unproductive for the remainder of the inning.
Heading into the sixth inning, Chattanooga made its third change out on the mound, switching to senior Taylor Deason for Jennings.
A throwing error allowed the Cardinals to register two runs, tying the game at eight and forcing the Mocs to make a fourth pitching change.
With Jennings back on the mound, UTC would push the Cardinals out of the inning but not before Ball State took its first lead, 9-8, off a walk on a loaded diamond.
In the bottom of the sixth, two hits and one walk would gave Chattanooga a chance to retake the lead. However, a perfect pitch by Ball State’s Steinback for a strike out wrapped up the inning.
Still at 9-8, the seventh inning proved to be the deciding period of the game. The Mocs stopped the Cardinal’s last chance of adding to their advantage with three consecutive outs at third base.
In the bottom of the seventh, Chattanooga stepped up to the plate and loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. The fourth batter up, Anyssa Robles hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field to score Roberts and tie the game at 9-9.
With the score tied for a second time, Palazzolo singled to left field for the walk-off win..
The Mocs look to continue their success at home as they host the annual Frost Class, Feb, 28-March 1.
No. 1 Florida 20, Mercer 3
No. 1 Florida 10, Mercer 3
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On the final day of the Aquafina Invitational, the Mercer University softball team (7-8) lost a pair of games to host and No. 1 Florida (16-0). The weekend marked the first time in school history that the Bears have played the NFCA Coaches/USA Today number one team in the country.
The University of Florida jumped out early on the Bears scoring five runs in the first inning play, on four hits against starting pitcher Kirsten Stevens. Mercer answered with a run of their own on a Riley Carter RBI single up the middle, scoring Meghan Rud. The Gators added six more runs in the second aided largely off of a Briana Little grand slam, pushing their lead to 11-1.
Florida would get back on the board in the fourth, as Little recorded her second home run of the game pushing across three more runs. The Gators added six more runs in the fifth on back-to-back home runs. Mercer added two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Emma Andrew's RBI double would score Kaytlin Haney before scoring on a Gator error. Stevens was credited with her fifth loss of the year, as the defeat marked the largest scoring differential this season.
The Bears got off to a better start in their second game against the Gators. Florida grounded into a double play to end the inning in the first before adding two runs in the second and four in the third to take a 6-0 lead heading into the fourth. Mercer began to claw their way back, adding three runs in the top of the fourth.
Meghan Rud set up the first score on a lead off triple. Taylor Miller singled to left field driving in Rud. Kaytlin Haney added a pair of RBIs driving in Miller and Riley Carter. Florida added a run of their own in the fourth to make the score 7-3 heading into the fifth. Florida would score the final three points of the game off of a pair of home runs in the sixth, lining up the final score of the game.
Anna O'Neill picked up her second loss of the year, as the Bears move to 7-8 on the year. Miller and Haney led the offensive attack for Mercer, both with two hits a piece.
Mercer closes out their longest road trip of the year, going 3-7 on the road. The Bears are eager to be back in Macon, as they prepare to host the Black and Orange Challenge beginning on Feb. 27th against the University of Buffalo at 3:30 p.m. EST. Other teams in attendance include Evansville University and Kennesaw State University.