Mocs Softball Splits Home Opener in Chattanooga Challenge

(gomocs.com) CHATTANOOGA – The Chattanooga Mocs’ softball team began its home slate in thrilling fashion on Friday afternoon as Kailey Snell hit a line drive to center field with two outs in the seventh to give UTC its first win at home this season, 3-2 over SIUE. The Mocs fell in the night cap, 3-1 to Northwestern State.

UTC moves to 2-4 this season, while SIUE dropped to 2-5 and Northwestern State improved to 5-2 after splitting its two games today.

The Mocs return to the diamond for day two of the Chattanooga Challenge against Radford and Tennessee Tech. First pitch against Radford is slated for 3 p.m. at Frost Stadium.

GAME 1 RECAP
The game was scoreless entering the fourth. In the top of the fourth, SIUE’s Amber Stoner hit a two-run homer to left to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Kailey Snell drove in Acelynn Sellers to get the Mocs on the board, cutting their deficit in half. In the sixth, Liz Rodebaugh drove in Snell with a line drive single to center to tie the game at two.

After Sellers opened the bottom of the seventh with an infield single, Adison Keylon moved the pinch runner to second with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs and Skylar Berkhiser on second, Snell recorded her third hit of the contest to walk it off for the Mocs with an RBI double to center.

Brooke Parrott got the start and the win in the circle for UTC with a complete game. She allowed five hits and two runs with five strikeouts and one walk. She moved to 2-1 on the year with two complete games.

Snell, Sellers and Olivia Lipari registered mutli-hit games, combining to go 7-for-9 at the dish.

Sydney Baalman got the nod for the Cougars tossing 6.2 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits with four K’s.

GAME 1 – UTC 3, SIUE 2 | 
SCORING PLAYS
T4th: Amber Storer (SIUE) homered to left field, 2 RBI. (SIUE 2-0)
B5th: Kailey Snell (UTC) singled to left field, RBI, Acelynn Sellers scored. (SIUE 2-1)
B6th: Liz Rodebaugh (UTC) singled to center, RBI, Kailey Snell scored. (Tied 2-2)
B7th: Kailey Snell (UTC) doubled to center field, RBI, Skylar Berkhiser scored. (UTC 3-2)

WP: Brooke Parrott (2-1)
LP: Sydney Baalman (1-2)

Notable: 

• Snell’s three hits tie a career high for the sophomore. It’s the third time she’s accomplished that feat.
• The contest was Lipari’s second multi-hit game in her first year at Chattanooga.
• In the circle, Parrott has recorded five or more strikeouts in all three of her starts.

GAME 2 RECAP
Northwestern State opened the scoring in the third with a Kelly Dubois RBI single right. In the bottom half, the Mocs put on a double steal where Kruse stole home after Lipari got caught in a rundown between first and second.

The Demons retook the lead and then doubled it with an RBI groundout in the fourth and a double to right center in the fifth, both unearned runs.

Hannah Wood got the start and a no decision after tossing three innings and allowing one run with two strikeouts. Izzy Alley came in relief, matching Wood’s three innings of work and surrendering two unearned runs. Reagan Lowrie pitched the final inning of action, retiring the Demons in order.

NSU’s Kenzie Seeley picked up her second win of the season going five innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits. Sage Hoover picked up the save, retiring six of the eight batters she faced.

GAME 2 – NSU 3, UTC 1  |
SCORING PLAYS
T3:  Kelly Dubois (NSU) singled to right center, RBI. (NSU 1-0)
B3: Olivia Lipari out at second, CS, Gracey Kruse (UTC) stole home. (Tied 1-1).
T4: Taylor Williams (NSU) grounded out to third, RBI, unearned. (NSU 2-1).
T5: Kat Marshall (NSU) doubled to right center, RBI, unearned (NSU 3-1)

WP: Kenzie Seeley (2-0)
LP: Izzy Alley (0-2)
Save: Sage Hoover (2)

Notable: 

• The contest was the third time this season the Mocs’ pitching staff has allowed one earned run or fewer… two of the three have come against Northwestern State.

Series history:

Chattanooga now leads the series vs. SIUE 2-1 and 10-3 vs. Northwestern State.