Mocs Upset Furman 8-3 to Open SoCon Tournament
(soconsports.com) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – No. 6 seed Chattanooga seized control from the outset as the Mocs upset No. 3 seed Furman, 8-3, in final game of day one at the Southern Conference Championship at Frost Stadium on Wednesday.
The Mocs (25-25) advance to take on No. 2 seed Samford on Thursday at 3 p.m. The Paladins (20-31) will face No. 7 seed ETSU on Thursday in an elimination game at 10 a.m.
Kaili Phillips and Emily Coltharp opened the game with back-to-back singles, followed by a walk from Olivia Lipari to load the bases. Acelynn Sellers hit a sacrifice fly to center field on the next at-bat, bringing the first run of the game across home plate. Addy Keylon was the next batter and she also hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Coltharp to make the score 2-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Furman had its first two batters reach base via a walk and an error. With batters on second and third base, SoCon Player of the Year Riley Ludlam hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Ashlee Lykins, making the score 2-1 in favor of Chattanooga.
Following a scoreless second inning, both squads scored runs in the third. Lipari hit an RBI triple to score Phillips to put the Mocs up 3-1. After a walk from Sellers, Keylon hit a sacrifice fly to foul territory in right field to make the score 4-1. Chattanooga’s final run of the frame came on an RBI single by Presley Williamson, making the score 5-1.
In the bottom of the third, Chrissy Fleming hit an infield single to start the frame, advancing to third on a wild pitch and a groundout. Ludlam hit an RBI double to right center to score Fleming to score the Paladins’ first run of the inning. SoCon Freshman of the Year Kiley Perry then she crushed a double down the left field line to bring Ludlam across home plate and make the score 5-3 with Chattanooga ahead.
The Mocs would get their remaining runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh inning. Chattanooga’s fourth inning run came on an RBI single by Lipari. In the sixth inning, Riley KoKinda scored on an error and Williamson scored in the seventh after Phillips was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Peja Goold (9-8) threw her fourth complete game of the season inside the circle for Chattanooga. Goold had seven strikeouts, giving up two earned runs on five hits. Sierra Tufts (10-14) received the loss for the Paladins after throwing 2 2/3 innings.
Lipari was 3-for-3 with a triple, a walk, three RBIs and a run scored. Phillips went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and three runs scored.
Ludlam, Fleming, Lykins, Perry and Caitlin Goldwait each had one hit for the Paladins.
2023 SoCon Softball ChampionshipChattanooga, Tenn.Wednesday, May 10Game 1: No. 4 Western Carolina 3, No. 5 Mercer 2Game 2: No. 2 Samford 4, No. 7 ETSU 2Game 3: No. 6 Chattanooga 8, No. 3 Furman 3 Thursday, May 11Game 4: No. 7 ETSU vs. No. 3 Furman, 10 a.m.Game 5: No. 1 UNCG vs. No. 4 Western Carolina, 12:30 p.m.Game 6: No. 2 Samford vs. No. 6 Chattanooga, 3 p.m.Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 5:30 p.m.Game 8: No. 5 Mercer vs. Game 6 loser, 8 p.m. Friday, May 12Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 10 a.m.Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 12:30 p.m.Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 9 loser, 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 1 p.m.Game 13 (if necessary): Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser, 3 p.m.
