Mocs Softball Team Splits SoCon Opener With Furman

(GoMocs.com) The Chattanooga Mocs softball team split games against Furman in Frost Stadium to open Southern Conference play. UTC started the series with a 5-2 win and dropped the second contest 6-5.

“Considering the shape we are in, I thought we played really well despite having people out of position and struggling just to make it through seven innings,” head coach Frank Reed stated.

UTC is 18-16 and 1-1 in league action.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Paladins’ leadoff hitter Candace Johnson began the matchup with a home run.

Sophomore Cori Jennings tossed two strikeouts in a row in the top of the first and third, finishing with six.

Kicking off the bottom of the third, senior Sam Taylor doubled down the right field line. Hitting a sacrifice fly, senior Anyssa Robles brought Taylor home to tie the game up 1-1.

In the fourth frame, the Mocs tallied two runs to take the lead 3-1. Sophomore Kailey Palazzolo hit a single to get on base. She was batted in by a hit up the middle from Taylor. Then, Taylor followed with a score.

Furman’s Sieara Bishop had a run in the top of the sixth.

A half inning later, freshman Alyssa Coppinger doubled to left center. Sam Taylor batted in Coppinger for her second RBI and third hit of the day.

Freshman Jordan Fortel then brought Taylor home to extend the Mocs lead to 5-2.

“I thought we put ourselves in position to win the first game, and we did,” said Reed. “We could have followed it in the second game, but we gave up three runs in the first three innings. But we battled back, and we put ourselves back in the seventh inning to give ourselves a chance to win. And you can’t ask for any more than that.”

To start off the second game, the Paladins’ Johnson hit another home run on her first at bat. Furman followed with a run in the second and third.

Sophomore Ashley Conner hit a three-run homer to tie the game up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth.

In the fifth, Fortel scored a two-run homer, giving the Mocs their first lead of the game 5-3.

“We made some adjustments and worked on things we wanted to do against their pitchers all week,” shared Reed. “I thought it paid off when we got home runs from Ashley Connor and Jordan Fortel. We also got some big hits from other people, so I thought all in all that paid off.”

Furman tied it back up with two runs in the top of the sixth. Bishop scored the final run for the Paladins during the seventh.

Chattanooga wraps up its series with Furman Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (E.D.T.) in Frost Stadium.