Homers, walk-off lead Mocs to DH sweep over ETSU

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (UTC Athletics) – The Chattanooga Mocs’ softball team swept Saturday’s doubleheader over ETSU at Frost Stadium with a 5-4 win in game one followed by a 9-4 victory in game two.

Game one went into extra innings after a seventh-inning comeback by Chattanooga. Emily Coltharp sent the Mocs fans into a frenzy with a walk-off RBI single up the middle to give the Mocs a 5-4 win over the in-state rival.

Chattanooga improved to 20-15 overall and 4-1 in SoCon action, while ETSU dropped to 5-27 and 1-4 in league play.

The Mocs and the Bucs round out the three-game series tomorrow, April 3 at 2 p.m.

GAME ONE RECAP
Chattanooga opened the scoring in the first inning with a Kaili Phillips sacrifice fly to score Coltharp. In the third, the Mocs hit back-to-back home runs for the first time this season as Phillips and Presley Williamson extended the UTC lead to 3-0.

ETSU took the lead in the fourth with four runs on two two-run singles after loading the bases with no outs.

In the sixth inning, Chattanooga had two on and no out, but was unable to get any runs across as the Mocs grounded into two fielders’ choices to end the threat.

Down one heading into the bottom of the seventh, Olivia Lipari opened the scoring with a leadoff double. After back-to-back walks, the hosts had the bases loaded and no one out. Williamson came through again, this time with a hard ground ball off the third base bag to tie the game. ETSU threw out the winning run at the plate and another runner at third to end the threat.

In extras, the Bucs looked to take a lead with a single down the right field line, but a strong throw from Liz Rodebaugh to the plate kept the game tied.

Reagan Armour began the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff double and after a pinch runner game in, the Mocs had the winning run on third courtesy of a sac bunt. Coltharp came through with a single up the middle to give Chattanooga its third walk-off win of the season.

Coltharp’s walk-off single secured the third three-hit game of the season as she went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Williamson registered the other multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 outing and two RBI.

Brooke Parrott got the start for the Mocs and allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts in four innings of work. Hannah Wood came on in relief in the fifth with no one out and picked up the win. She allowed two runs on six hits with a walk and a punch out.

ETSU’s Allison Farr started the game in the circle and picked up a no decision after pitching seven innings, allowing seven hits, seven walks and four runs with four K’s. Sara Muir entered in the eighth and allowed the winning run to score.

UTC 5. ETSU 4 (8 inn.) | BOX
SCORING PLAYS
B1st: Kaili Phillips flied out to lf, SF, RBI; Emily Coltharp scored. (UTC 1-0)
B3rd: Kaili Phillips homered to left, RBI. (UTC 2-0)
B3rd: Presley Williamson homered to left, RBI. (UTC 3-0)
T4th: Andrea Sarhatt singled up the middle; Bailey Turnbow scored and Amber Atkins scored. (UTC 3-2)
T4th: Riley Nayadley singled through the right side, out at second, 2 RBI; Andrea Sarhatt and Kelly Warren scored. (ETSU 4-3)
B7th: Presley Williamson singled to third, RBI; Olivia Lipari scored. (Tied 4-4)
B8th: Emily Coltharp singled up the middle, RBI; Skylar Berkhiser scored. (UTC 5-4)

WP: Hannah Wood (4-5)
LP: Sara Muir (0-2)

Notable:
• Chattanooga hit back-to-back homers for the first time since Feb. 9, 2020 vs. Austin Peay.
• Williamson tied a career high with two RBI.
• The Mocs registered four extra-base hits for the eighth time this season (6-2 in those contests).
• It is the first time the Mocs won when trailing after six innings this season (previously 0-12).
GAME TWO RECAP
Chattanooga plated three in the second to take an early lead. The Mocs used sac flies from Rodebaugh and Coltharp and put up the third run on a Kailey Snell infield single.

In the fourth, ETSU got on the board with a base hit up the middle. Lipari got the run back and added another with a two-run blast over the right field wall, extending the UTC lead to 6-1.

The Bucs cut their deficit to two in the fifth, with three runs in the inning on three hits.

UTC added three insurance runs in the sixth with an RBI single from Armour, an RBI double off the bat of Gracey Kruse and a bases-loaded walk.

Izzy Alley picked up her fifth win of the season in the circle. She tossed 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Alyssa Lavdis shut the door with a seven-out save, the first of her career. She allowed just one hit and one walk with a strikeout in 2.1 innings of work.

Sellers and Armour both went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Coltharp, Snell, Lipari and Kruse registered the other hits for Chattanooga.

UTC 9. ETSU 4 | BOX
SCORING PLAYS
B2nd: Liz Rodebaugh flied out to right field, SF, RBI; Kaili Phillips scored. (UTC 1-0)
B2nd: Emily Coltharp flied out to center field, SF, RBI; Presley Williamson scored, unearned. (UTC 2-0)
B2nd: Kaili Snell singled to shortstop, RBI; Reagan Armour scored, unearned. (UTC 3-0)
B3rd: Reagan Armour grounded out to shortstop, RBI; Acelynn Sellers scored. (UTC 4-0)
T4th: Sara Muir singled up the middle, RBI; Andrea Sarhatt scored. (UTC 4-1)
B4th: Olivia Lipari homered to left field, 2 RBI; Kailey Snell scored. (UTC 6-1)
T5th: Kelly Warren grounded out to second, RBI; Bailey Turnbow scored. (UTC 6-2)
T5th: Andrea Sarhatt singled up the middle, RBI; Ally Chernak scored. (UTC 6-3)
T5th: Andrea Sarhatt stole home. (UTC 6-4).
B6th: Reagan Armour singled to right center, RBI; Acelynn Sellers scored. (UTC 7-4)
B6th: Gracey Kruse doubled to right center, RBI; Jayce Purdy scored. (UTC 8-4)
B6th: Kailey Snell walked, RBI; Reagan Armour scored. (UTC 9-4)

WP: Izzy Alley (5-7)
LP: Whitley Arnott (0-9)
Save: Alyssa Lavdis (1)

Notable:
• This is the first time two Mocs registered three hits in a single game this season. Sellers set a career high, while Armour tied hers, which happened once in 2021.
• Coltharp extended her team-leading on-base streak to 16 straight games. The longest by a Moc since Hayleigh Weissenbach reached safely in 16 straight in 2018.
• After walking seven times in game one, the nine walks by the Chattanooga offense are the most by the team this season.
• The Mocs’ 1-4 hitters combined to go 6-for-13 with five RBI and six runs scored.
Series history:
Chattanooga now leads the all-time series 25-10.

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