MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Fifth-seeded UNC Greensboro upset the top seed for the third consecutive season, taking out Chattanooga, 3-1, in game seven of the 2008 Southern Conference Softball Championship.
The Spartans jumped out to an early advantage with two first-inning runs off of Chattanooga starter Kandice Irwin. Lyndsay Mouse singled to right and advanced to second on a stolen base. After reaching on an infield error, Brittany Ausley stole second and scampered over to third as Mouse scored on a wild pitch. Clean-up hitter Mary Catherine Vercoe then singled to the shortstop, plating Ausley and giving UNCG a lead it would not relinquish.
Laci Upchurch led the UTC comeback attempt with an RBI single in the
fourth inning, but the Lady Mocs could not overcome the early deficit
as Amber Harrell and Hannah Angel combined to slow down the Chattanooga offense.
Harrell allowed one run in four innings of work to earn her 11th victory of the season while Angel held Chattanooga scoreless over the final three frames to record her second save.
Each team registered just four hits on the afternoon led by UTC’s
Toni Hutchison who was 2-for-2 with a pair of singles.
Irwin (8-8) took the loss for Chattanooga, which used three pitchers in the contest.
UNC Greensboro (23-31) advances to the winner’s bracket final Friday at 3:00 p.m. against the winner of the Georgia Southern/College of Charleston match-up.
Chattanooga (36-20) drops to the loser’s bracket where it will
face seventh-seeded Appalachian State at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning
in an elimination game.
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