Two-run walk-off homer propels Mocs softball over Furman, 2-0

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (UTC Athletics) — CHATTANOOGA – Aly Walker belted a two-run, walk-off homerun and Celie Hudson took a no-hit bid into the final inning to help lift the Chattanooga Mocs softball team to a 2-0 win in game one against Furman at Frost Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Following the victory, Chattanooga has now won six-straight Southern Conference games and seven of their last eight overall games to improve to 21-22, 6-4. Furman fell to 31-11, 3-4 in league action.

Game two of the doubleheader was suspended due to weather in the bottom of the third with Furman leading 7-4. The game will resume at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon with game three to follow.

Full game recap can be found below.

GM1 | Chattanooga 2, Furman 0
A classic pitcher’s duel broke out at Frost Stadium between starting pitchers Celie Hudson and Lindsey Bert. The pair kept each other’s opponents off the scoreboard up until the final pitch of the game.

Chattanooga mustered only four hits over the course of the game while Furman didn’t find their first tally in the hit column until the final frame. Hudson lost her no-hit bid with two outs in the top of the seventh on a soft grounder through the right side.

Bert and Hudson matched pitch-for-pitch for the majority of the contest. Furman’s all-time wins and strikeouts leader retired nine Mocs hitters on strikes while walking only one.

It was Aly Walker who provided the late-game heroics for UTC. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Emma Sturdivant drew a clutch walk before Walker lifted a pitch to the seats in right-center to walk-off with a 2-0 win.

Walker finished with the lone mulit-hit game after going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI on her second homerun of the season. Hayleigh Weissenbach and Brook Womack added singles in the victory.

Celie Hudson (10-10) was nothing short of fantastic in the circle. Hudson tossed a complete game and allowed just one single while striking out four in route to her fourth-straight win.

Chattanooga’s second Saturday game with Furman was suspended due to weather. The Mocs finish the bout with the Paladins Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will pick up in the bottom of the third with Furman winning 7-4.

The final game of the weekend’s series will immediately follow the finish of game two.