Mocs Softball Splits Day One of MTSU Invitational

(gomocs.com) MURFREESBORO – The Chattanooga Mocs’ softball team split the first day of the MTSU Invitational with a 3-2 win against Northern Iowa before dropping the afternoon contest 5-2 to Illinois State.

Chattanooga moved to 10-11 while Illinois State improved to 7-12 and Northern Illinois dropped to 6-9.

GAME ONE RECAP
UNI opened the scoring with a single down the left field line with two outs in the first. Chattanooga limited the damage with Olivia Lipari throwing out the Panthers’ second run of the inning at home.

In the bottom of the first, Acelynn Sellers put the Mocs ahead with a two-out two-run double down the left field line to score Kaili Phillips and Emily Coltharp. In the next at bat, the Mocs executed a double steal, with Sellers stealing home to take a 3-1 lead.

The Panthers blasted a home run in the fourth to cut into the Mocs’ lead. That was ultimately the last run of the game as Brooke Parrott retired 12 of the next 14 batters to secure the 3-2 victory for the Mocs.

Parrott picked up her sixth win of the season in her fifth complete game. She allowed the two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Coltharp led the Mocs with two hits, while Sellers played a part in all three of UTC’s runs with two RBI and a run scored. Lipari, Jayce Purdy and Liz Rodebaugh tallied the other hits for Chattanooga.

Northern Iowa had three players with a multi-hit game. The Panthers’ Haley Sanders moved to 1-3 on the season after allowing three runs on four hits in three innings of work.

UTC 3, NIU 2 | 
SCORING PLAYS
T1st: Kylee Sanders singled down the left field line, RBI , Madison Parks scored. (UNI 1-0)
B1st: Acelynn Sellers (UTC) doubled down the left field line, 2 RBI, Kaili Phillips and Emily Coltharp scored. (UTC 2-1)
B1st: Acelynn Sellers stole home. (UTC 3-1)
T4th: Kylee Sanders homered to right, RBI. (UTC 3-2)

WP: Brooke Parrott (6-1)
LP: Hailey Sanders (1-3)

Notable: 

• After the two-run double in the first, Sellers has logged a double in five of the last six games.
• Purdy’s stolen base was the first of her career.
• This was the fifth one-run game this season for Chattanooga. The Mocs are 3-2 in those contests.
• It is the first time UTC won after its opponent scored in the first inning (previously 0-5).

GAME TWO RECAP
Chattanooga scored in the first off of a Redbird error. Coltharp singled and after a stolen base, scored from second off the error. Illinois State battled back in the bottom half, plating four runs on four hits.

The next three innings were scoreless until the Redbirds hit a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth to add to their lead. In the next half inning, Kendall Forsythe hit a rocket over the wall in left for her third home run of the year to get the run back for the Mocs.

Chattanooga was able to load the bases in the sixth and get two runners on in the seventh, but were unable to push any runs across, falling to the Redbirds 5-2.

Coltharp led all players with three hits.

Izzy Alley started the game for the Mocs and allowed four runs in a third of the first inning on four hits. Hannah Wood pitched the remaining 5.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on four hits with one strikeout.

ISU’s Amanda Fox tossed six innings and allowed two runs, one earned on eight hits and fanned five batters. The Redbirds’ Emme Olson went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI.

ISU 5, UTC 2 |

SCORING PLAYS
T1st: Kendall Forsythe reached on an error, Emily Coltharp scored. (UTC 1-0)
B1st: Emme Olson doubled to left center, RBI, Addison Masching scored. (Tied 1-1)
B1st: Reili Gardner scored on a wild pitch (ISU 2-1)
B1st: Kaili Chval grounded out to shortstop, RBI, Emme Olson scored (ISU 3-1)
B1st: Brandi LaFountaine singled through the left side, RBI, Abby Knight scored. (ISU 4-1)
B5th: Emme Olson homered to right field, RBI. (ISU 5-1).
T6th: Kendall Forsythe homered to left field, RBI. (ISU 5-2)

WP: Izzy Alley (3-6)
LP: Amanda Fox (4-5)
Save: Hannah Ross (1)

Notable: 

• Coltharp netted three hits in a game for the first time this season and seventh time in her four-year career. It was the first game of her career with two doubles.
• Wood’s 5.1 innings in relief tied a career-best set last season against Green Bay.

Series history:
Chattanooga improves to 3-0 all-time against Northern Iowa and is now 0-2 against Illinois State.

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