Mocs Split Opening Games of SoCon Softball Tournament
(gomocs.com)– The Chattanooga softball team opened the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament with a 10-3 win over No. 8 Furman then fell 2-0 to No. 4 seed Wofford in Game Three on the opening day at Jim Frost Stadium.
Baileigh Pitts hit .667 with a 1.667 slugging percentage and a .714 on base percentage on the day with two hits, a home run, three RBI, a sac fly and three walks. Raven Jones was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Ava Cowart was 3-for-7 and scored three runs. Anna Dovey drove in five runs with four coming on a grand slam against Furman; her second of the season.
Taylor Long went the distance in both games picking up the win against Furman. She struck out 18, gave up 10 hits, five runs and three earned.
GAME ONE: #5 Chattanooga 10, #8 Furman 3
Anna Dovey’s grand slam, her second of the season, highlighted a decisive middle-inning surge, as Chattanooga pulled away for a 10-3 win over the Paladins in the opening game of the SoCon Tournament.
The Mocs plated four runs in the fifth and added three more in the sixth to break open a tight game and advance to take on No. 4 Wofford in the third game of the day.
The Mocs opened the fifth with back-to-back singles and a sac bunt to move the runners over. Baileigh Pitts drew a walk to load the bags and Dovey homered to deep center field on the first pitch.
In the sixth, with two outs and one on, the Mocs loaded the bases again with back-to-back singles. Pitts walked once again, sending Raven Jones across the plate to make it 8-3. Dovey drew a walk on the next at-bat and Chattanooga led 9-3. A passed ball sent Annika Segedi home from third for the Mocs 10th run.
Chattanooga scored in each of the first three innings to build an early cushion before extending the margin late. Ava Cowart led the way at the top of the order, going 2-for-4 and scoring three runs, while Raven Jones added two hits, including a run-scoring double in the second inning.
Furman briefly seized momentum in the second inning, scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead, and later added a run in the fourth.
Taylor Long went the distance in the circle for Chattanooga, allowing six hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out a season-high tying 11 and walking six in a complete-game effort.
GAME THREE: Chattanooga 0, Wofford 2
Chattanooga fell 2-0 to Wofford in the third game of the Southern Conference Tournament and will move on to play the loser of Game 6 Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Frost Stadium.
The Mocs were limited to three hits and stranded four runners. Wofford scored a run in the opening inning and added a second in the sixth on four hits.
Chattanooga’s offense generated its best chance in the fifth inning. Raven Jones reached on an error and advanced, and Zoe Wright followed with a single, but Jones was thrown out at the plate trying to score, ending the threat.
Ava Cowart, Wright and Pitts each recorded one hit for Chattanooga, which struck out six times and could not capitalize on limited opportunities.
Taylor Long struck out seven, gave up two runs (one earned) and walked three.
With the loss, Chattanooga moves to the elimination bracket and will look to stay alive in the tournament in its next game. UTC will play at 7:00 p.m. Friday against the loser of Game Six. That game is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start.
