Samford 5, Chattanooga 1
Chattanooga 4, Samford 3 (8 inn.)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – After a 5-1 loss to start the day, the Chattanooga Mocs softball team clinched the 2015 SoCon regular season title and the No.1 seed on Sunday with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Samford in eight innings.
It is the 13th time in program history that Chattanooga claims the season title, the last time having been in 2011.
The Mocs finish the regular season 32-13 overall and 12-5 in league play. Receiving a first round bi for the SoCon Championship Tournament, Chattanooga will face the winner of the Furman (No.4) and Western Carolina (No.5) game, Thursday at 11: 30 a.m.
Just like the series opener, Samford took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Bulldogs loaded the bases and a single to left field by Cal Brister drove in runners from third and second.
The Mocs responded with a run in the bottom of the second as Sam Taylor drove in a run from third with a single to center field.
With the score set 2-1, Samford cushioned its lead with three runs in the top of the third frame. The Mocs would keep the Bulldogs from adding to their advantage but would not be able to spark any offensive momentum for themselves. Samford pitcher, Mollie Hanson will sustain Chattanooga with seven strikeouts and zero walks.
After three scoreless innings to wrap up the game, Samford took the victory, 5-1.
With the regular season title on the line, the series finale had a much more competitive atmosphere as both teams stepped up to play.
After four scoreless innings, Samford was the first to put up a run in the top of the fifth frame. With one out and Bulldogs on third and second, four balls from Kailey Palazzolo walked Megan Dowdy to load the bases. Going pitch-for-pitch with the batters, four more balls from Palazzolo walked in a run for Samford.
Still in the game, the Mocs matched Samford’s run in the bottom of the sixth as a single from Nicole Osterman drove in J.J. Hamill from second.
With the score knotted at one, both teams went scoreless in the seventh inning to extend the game.
In the top of the eighth with two outs and bases loaded a single from Lex Higgins brought in two runs for the Bulldogs.
Down 3-1, Chattanooga stayed relentless, putting up two hits for three runs in the bottom of the frame. With one out and Mocs on first and second, a double to right field from Criket Blanco cut Samford’s lead to one and positioned Mocs on second and third.
Samford’s Hanson would leave Jesslyn Stockard swinging but would not be able to trip Anyssa Robles as the junior smacked a 2 RBI hit to take the game, 4-3 and secure the title for the Mocs.
As the winning pitcher Palazzolo improved to 6-1, reinforcing Chattanooga’s defense with eight strikeouts.
UNCG 3, Furman 2
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The UNCG softball team won the series against Furman with a 3-2 victory in the series finale Sunday at Pepsi Stadium.
The Spartans finished the regular season with a 24-20 record and was 7-10 in conference earning the No. 6 seed. Furman falls to 29-23 and finishes 10-8 in conference claiming the No. 4 seed.
Sophomore Tory Wright hit the game-winning home run in the sixth inning to help UNCG win 3-2.
Freshman Mackenzie Winslow started her second game of the season and threw four innings. Winslow was sharp only allowing one earned run off three hits. Junior Danica Bishop improved to 3-2 with the win in relief throwing three innings and allowed just one earned run.
UNCG took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after a Furman error led to a run. Junior Danielle Vega doubled to left center after Furman’s left fielder made a diving attempt that just popped out of her glove. With two outs, a ground ball to Sieara Bishop led to a run after she made a throwing error.
Furman tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning on a RBI sacrifice fly from Bishop. Emma Ogburn worked a walk to start the inning and moved to second off a passed ball. After a sacrifice bunt, Bishop lined a RBI sacrifice to deep centerfield to tie the game.
The Spartans answered with a two-run blast by Wright in the top of the sixth inning. Junior Lindsay Thomas singled up the middle to start the frame. Wright delivered her seventh home run of the season giving UNCG a 3-1 lead.
Bishop allowed a solo home run to Furman’s Natalie Clemmons in the seventh but finished the win with a pop out to first base.
The Blue and Gold will enter the Southern Conference tournament as the No. 6 seed and will play No. 3 seed Mercer at a time to be determined on Wednesday, May 6 at Jim Frost Stadium.
Mercer 8, ETSU 3
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Mercer University softball team escaped the series sweep with an 8-3 victory over East Tennessee State to close out the regular season with a record of 34-20, 10-7 in SoCon play.
The Bears jumped out to the early lead, scoring five runs in the second inning on three hits. Caroline Taylor started off the big inning with a two-run blast to left center. Taylor Miller added a pair of RBIs of her own on a triple before scoring on a passed ball giving Mercer the 5-0 lead heading into the third inning.
Natalie Shiver would get the Bears back on the board in the sixth with a home run of her own to extend the lead to six. The Bucs added all three of their runs in the third, plating the runs on five hits with help from a Mercer error.
Meghan Rud added a RBI single in the fourth as the Bears scored for the third straight inning. After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning Mercer would add their eighth and final run in the seventh to take the 8-3 lead. Taylor Rogers added a RBI single to center field for the final run of the game.
Kirsten Stevens tied the Mercer single season win total with her 23rd win of the season. Stevens, 23-8, allowed three runs on seven hits, while recording four strikeouts on the day in her seven innings of work for the win.
The Bears currently look to be the conferences third seed heading into the Southern Conference Tournament and if the standings stay the same, Mercer will face UNC Greensboro on Wednesday, May 6th.