Chattanooga 7, Lipscomb 4 (9 inn.)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In its first extra-innings game of the season, the Chattanooga Mocs softball team rallied for six unanswered runs to defeat the Lipscomb Lady Bisons, 7-4 in nine innings on Wednesday night. The victory is the eighth-straight win for the Mocs and is Head Coach Frank Reed’s 999th career win, putting him only one away from his 1,000th triumph.
The Mocs’ offense (25-8, 6-0 SoCon) was led by freshman J.J. Hamill, who blasted out a two-out, three-run long ball to tie the game and give Chattanooga the opportunity to steal the game.
Defensively, UTC was paced by first baseman Jesslyn Stockard, who recorded 13 of the team’s 27 putouts. Third baseman, Sarah Beth Roberts also helped the defensive efforts with a squad-best five assists.
On the mound, Chattanooga saw a collected effort from all three of its pitchers Cori Jennings, Taylor Deason, and Kailey Palazzolo. Jennings opened and directed the defense for four innings, giving up only two walks. Deason relieved Jennings in the bottom of the fifth, and threw for 3.0 frames. The senior faced 13 batters and ultimately garnered the victory, improving to 10-3. Palazzolo pitched the last two innings, allowing only one hit against seven batters.
After two scoreless innings, Lipscomb was the first to strike as Brittany Elmore doubled to left center to score Brianne Welch who reached on a single in the bottom of the third inning.
The Mocs answered with a run of their own in the top of the fifth. Stockard lead off the inning with a double and an error by Lipscomb center fielder Elmore gave the sophomore just enough time to make her way around the diamond.
With the score knotted at 1, the Lady Bisons added a run in the bottom of the frame. Elmore, who had reached base on single to third base to open the inning stole second and then moved to third on a ground out by Mimi Cartwright. Elmore scored when Paige Neely grounded out to first base.
In the sixth Lipscomb extended its lead to 4-1 as Cartwright drove in Kasey Gibson with single and Elmore scored on the throw.
Behind with two outs in the top of the seventh, Chattanooga stayed relentless as Hamill connected for a three-run homer.
Knotted at four, UTC would claim the lead and ultimately the victory in the top of the ninth, as the Mocs added three more runs. Highlighting, the offensive march was a two-run double by Sarah Beth Roberts down the right field line.
Chattanooga will look to continue its success this weekend with a road series against Furman.
Charlotte 6, Furman 2
Furman 6, Charlotte 5 (8 inn.)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Furman rallied from a 4-0 deficit in game two to earn a 6-5 victory in extra innings and a doubleheader split with the Charlotte 49ers on Wednesday afternoon at the D.L. Phillips Softball Complex. The 49ers claimed a 6-2 decision in game one.
The split moved the Paladins to 19-19 on the season, while Charlotte moved to 21-16 overall.
Trailing 4-0 with a runner on first base and two outs in the top of the fifth inning in game two, Hope Smith drew a walk and junior Sieara Bishop followed with her team-leading eighth homer of the season, a three-run shot off of the batting cages beyond the left field wall, to ignite Furman’s comeback. The home run was the Paladins’ 35th of the season and tied the school’s single season record for homers which was set last season.
After Charlotte plated an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, the game went to the seventh inning with the 49ers leading 5-3. Candace Johnson opened the inning with a single through the right side and Natalie Clemmons followed with a single off of the base of the right field wall. Ambree Muller walked to load the bases before Smith flew out to shallow left field for the first out of the inning. Bishop looped a single into right to plate one run and Taylor Collins was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run. Charlotte’s Bailey Rhoney, however, retired the next two batters to send the game to the bottom of the seventh knotted at 5-5.
Jackie Kleinsmith began the bottom of the seventh with a drive to the gap in right-center. Muller and Johnson collided trying to make a play on the ball allowing Kleinsmith to reach third base with nobody out. Furman brought on freshman Lindsey Bert to replace Elise Smith in the circle and the rookie intentionally walked the first two batters she faced to load the bases. Bert fanned Courtney Carroll before Sam Slade chopped a grounder to second base. Taylor Jenkins fired home for the force out and Bert followed with a strikeout of Rhoney to escape the bases loaded jam and send the game to extra innings.
In the eighth, Jenkins was placed on second as the international tiebreaker runner and moved to third base on Bishop’s leadoff single. Johnson put the Paladins in front with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Jenkins.
Bert shut the door in the bottom of the eighth by getting Hayley Lewis to line a bunt attempt back to first baseman Brittany Houston before Natalie Capone lined out and Jessica Plemmons popped out to end the game. The Tallahassee, Fla., native worked two innings of hitless relief to improve to 14-10 in the circle. Bert walked two batters and fanned two. Elise Smith, who came on in relief of starter Alex Sappington, allowed just one run on five hits in two and 2/3 innings of work.
Rhoney (2-2), who surrendered five earned runs on seven hits in eight innings, suffered the loss for the 49ers. Charlotte plated three runs in the first inning and added another in the second to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Haley Pace went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI for Charlotte, while Kleinsmith added three hits.
Bishop went 2-for-4 with a homer and four batted in for the Paladins and Clemmons added a pair of hits and two runs scored.
In the opening game of the twinbill, Pace and Slade each hit two-run homers for the 49ers to erase a 2-0 deficit en route to a 6-2 victory over the Paladins.
Bishop doubled to open the game and she and Jenkins scored when Bert shot an RBI single through the right side and a throw to third to get Jenkins sailed down the left field line.
Charlotte tied the game on a hit batter with the bases loaded in the second inning and a sacrifice fly. The 49ers broke the deadlock in the bottom of the sixth as Pace followed Chelsea Lisikatos’ triple with a two-run blast and Slade homered after Grace Beatty was plunked by a Bert pitch.
Charlotte starter Lexi Betancourt fanned 12 batters and allowed just one earned run on four hits in a complete game effort to up her record to 15-11. Bert allowed six runs on 10 hits in six innings to absorb the loss for Furman.
Pace went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer for the 49ers, while Slade and Lisikatos added two hits apiece.
Furman returns to Pepsi Stadium to open a three-game weekend series versus Southern Conference rivals Chattanooga on Saturday at 3:05 p.m.
Ole Miss 13, Samford 8
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A pivotal five-run first inning turned out to be a major factor as the Samford University softball team fell 13-8 to the University of Mississippi at the Samford Softball Field on Wednesday, April 8.
The Bulldogs (27-14) gave up three doubles, five walks and a grand slam in the first two innings of play to fall behind 7-2 to the Rebels (23-17). Sophomore pitchers Rebecca Leonard (3-3) and Grey Adams tossed a combined two complete innings before Jessica Stone entered the circle to stifle the Ole Miss offense for three solid innings.
Samford's offense surged in the fourth and the fifth innings to plate six runs and close down Ole Miss' lead to 9-8. Abbie Miranda and Megan Dowdy scored in the fourth for the Bulldogs on a pair of Rebel errors on a Shelby Maze bunt while Brister drove in Maze on a sacrifice fly to left field to bring the score to 8-5.
Ole Miss tacked on a run to go up 9-5 in the top of the fifth on a disputed solo home run Alyssa Invergo to start the inning.
The Bulldogs continued to rally and plated three more runs to close down the Rebels lead to 9-8 and capture the momentum of the game. Freshman Karsin Spinks drove in senior Abby Adams and junior Caitlin Bice on a sharply hit double to left center field. Pinch runner Caroline Seay scored later in the inning on sacrifice fly by Dowdy to left field.
The Rebels struck again in the top of the sixth with its third home run of the night to recapture the momentum and push its lead back out to 10-8. Ole Miss went on to plate three more runs in the seventh inning to secure the decision.
Dowdy recorded her 66th hit of the season after going 1-for-3 at the plate and is now just one hit shy of tying the single-season hits record she set at the end of the 2014 season.
Brister went 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs in the contest.
Ole Miss finished the night with three home runs and seven doubles and left seven runners stranded on base while Samford picked up a pair of doubles from Spinks and Dowdy but left a total of eight Bulldogs stranded by the end of the contest.
The Bulldogs return to Southern Conference action this weekend as the team travels to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on Western Carolina University in a three-game series.