Mocs Sam Taylor Puts Up Big Numbers in Softball Win Over Tennessee State

(GoMocs.com) The Chattanooga Mocs softball team beat Tennessee State 10-5 in Frost Stadium on Wednesday. UTC improves to 24-21 and 4-5 in Southern Conference play.

“We hit the ball hard,” head coach Frank Reed stated. “We made adjustments to their pitching, so I was really pleased with that.”

Nobody hit the ball harder than senior Sam Taylor who was 4-4 with three RBI’s.

Chattanooga finished the game with 16 hits, while the Tigers tallied six.

UTC got off to a quick start, hitting two singles and one double to kick off the bottom of the first. Taylor and freshman Alyssa Coppinger both tallied a single and a stolen base, while senior Criket Blanco batted them in off a double up the right field line.

Blanco hit another double in the bottom of the second, bringing freshman Amanda Beltran and Taylor home to make the score 4-0. Then, Coppinger and Blanco scored off sophomore Ashley Conner’s second single of the game.

Freshman Jordan Fortel and sophomore Katie Corum both followed with a single. Conner made it home off Corum’s hit to center field to increase the Mocs lead to 7-0.

In the bottom of the third, Taylor continued Chattanooga’s offense by hitting her third home run of the season to right field.

The Tigers got on the board with a homer from Erica O’Kane in the fourth and added two runs during the sixth.

Chattanooga scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, making it 10-3. Taylor singled to center field, bringing home Corum and freshman Halie Williamson, who pinch ran for Beltran.

Tennessee State scored twice in the seventh to bring the score to 10-5.

Sophomore Kailey Palazzolo pitched the first three innings. Fortel stepped into the circle in the fourth.

UTC faces Mercer in Frost Stadium for a three-game series this weekend. A doubleheader is Saturday, April 23 at 1:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) with a lone game Sunday at 2:00 p.m.