Elon vs. Chattanooga Box Score - Game 1
Elon vs. Chattanooga Box Score - Game 2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Freshman pitcher Kaitlin Holloway (Chickamauga, Ga.) threw 11.1 innings of relief, allowing only four hits and one run while striking out six as Chattanooga (30-15, 8-1) split the first two games of their series with Elon (17-17, 6-5) Saturday afternoon at Jim Frost Stadium. The Lady Mocs extended their win streak to 14 games with an 8-2 victory in the opener before falling 5-1 in the night cap.
The Phoenix opened the series with a quick two runs in the first inning with a two-out, two-run home run by junior designated hitter Melanie Helterbran before Chattanooga answered back with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-2 lead. Among those hits was an RBI single from freshman catcher Katie Blevins (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) and a three-run home run by junior outfielder Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.) down the right field line.
The Lady Mocs continued the offensive attack into the next inning with an RBI single by freshman pitcher Michelle Fuzzard (Huntington Beach, Calif.) to push the lead to 5-2. A pair of RBI singles by seniors Ashlan Clarkson (Chickamauga, Ga.) and Tara Tembey (Folsom, Calif.) and a run scoring error in centerfield added another three runs in the third inning to make it 8-2.
That would be all UTC would need as Kaitlin Holloway, who entered the game with one out in the third inning, pitched 4.2 scoreless, one-hit innings to collect her fourth win in as many outings, all in relief, and improve her record to 6-1 on the season. Senior Carol Lilley allowed all eight runs, seven earned, to take the loss for Elon and fell to 5-4 on the season.
Offensively, Katie Blevins surpassed her career-high for hits, going 3-for-3 with three singles, two runs and an RBI while Laci Upchurch went 3-for-4 with a run, three RBIs and her fourth home run of the year. That blast is the 19th of her career and ties her for fifth all-time at UTC. Freshman outfielder Lauren Flores (Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.) finished 2-for-3 with a run while Michelle Fuzzard went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
In the nightcap, the Phoenix jumped out ahead early as they took advantage of two errors in first inning and scored four runs on one-hit. A fielder's choice, error and passed ball accounted for three of the runs while junior outfielder Brandi Jones singled home the other run to make it 4-0. Kaitlin Holloway then entered the game with one out and worked out of the jam with a pair of fly outs.
Chattanooga got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when sophomore shortstop Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.) walked to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a walk and scored on a fielding error by first base to close the gap to 4-1. That would be as close as they would get, however, as freshman Pam DelPizzo allowed only four more hits over the next four innings to maintain the three run lead.
Elon added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when senior shortstop Tracey Dahlen lead off the inning with a walk and swiped back-to-back bases before scoring on a ground out by senior catcher Debbie Zeigler to push the lead to 5-1.
Melanie Helterbran then pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to secure the four run win and knock the Lady Mocs from the ranks of the unbeaten in the Southern Conference.
Holloway pitched 6.2 innings in relief and allowed only three hits and the one run while striking out three batters and DelPizzo scattered five hits and allowed the one unearned run over six innings to improve to 5-6 on the season for the Phoenix.
Michelle Fuzzard paced Chattanooga offensively with a 2-for-4 performance while Tembey, Flores and junior third baseman Toni Hutchison (Madison, Tenn.) each added a single. Upchurch added her third double of the season.
While the loss snaps the Lady Mocs season-high 14-game winning streak, they remain firmly entrenched atop the Southern Conference standings with an 8-1 record. Second-place Furman (17-21, 6-5) dropped the first two games in their series against Appalachian State, 6-4 and 2-1 while the College of Charleston (24-27, 6-5) split their first two games against Western Carolina. Georgia Southern swept the first two games of their series against UNC Greensboro to improve to 7-4 in conference.
The Lady Mocs will host Elon in the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Jim Frost Stadium.
