UTC vs. Maine Box Score
UTC vs. Campbell Box Score
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The 16th season of Chattanooga softball got off to an exciting start as the Lady Mocs (2-0) won the first two games of the season. UTC captured its first win with a 3-1 win over Maine (0-2) and ended the day with a heart stopping 7-5 victory over Campbell (1-1). The nightcap ended in dramatic fashion with a walk-off, three-run home run by Tiffany Baker.
In its first contest the Lady Mocs were able to defeat the Black Bears with a strong outing from pitcher Kandice Irwin. The sophomore threw a complete game, allowing only one run on six hits while striking out four.
Offensively Chattanooga was paced by Baker and Michelle Fuzzard with two hits and a RBI apiece.
Already leading 1-0 in the game, the Lady Mocs padded their lead in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single by Baker to double the UTC lead to 2-0. The following inning, Chattanooga would push another run across with a Fuzzard single to score Lyndsey Stiles.
Maine would scratch its lone run across in the seventh inning, but Irwin and the Lady Mocs were able to extinguish the Black Bear rally to win 3-1.
In the second game the UTC and Campbell offense would combine for five runs in the first inning as the contest began with runs aplenty. The Fighting Camels would plate two runs early thanks to Lauren Stephan double off Chattanooga pitcher Michelle Fuzzard.
The Lady Mocs would answer right back in the bottom half of the inning with the help of a three-run homer by senior Toni Hutchison to give UTC the one run advantage.
A Katie Hinton home run would tie the contest at three in the second, which ended all scoring until the sixth. Campbell would have its fair share of rallies however, but all were stymied thanks to clutch pitching by Fuzzard and Kaity Holloway, who entered the game in the fifth.
In the bottom of the sixth the Lady Mocs broke the 3-all tie with a Jenni Martin sacrifice fly to left field. In the top half of the seventh the Lady Mocs had the Camels down to its last strike before Karlie Love gave Campbell a 5-4 lead with a blast over the Frost Stadium scoreboard.
The Lady Mocs would counter the big blow from Campbell with a rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh. The inning led off with a single by Lyndsey Stiles, who would eventually advance to third on a Camel error on a Lauren Flores sacrifice attempt.
The drama would increase as the next two UTC batters were retired before Baker stepped to the plate. The sophomore would not disappoint as she hit a soaring fly ball that landed over the wall in left-centerfield to give the Lady Mocs the exciting 7-5 win. Baker ended the evening going 3-for-4 win three RBIs in the victory as the Lady Mocs pounded out eight hits.
Kaity Holloway got the win for UTC after throwing three innings of relief and allowed two runs on two hits and struck out four. Fuzzard received a no-decision and struck out seven through four innings.
The Lady Mocs will return to Frost Stadium on Saturday for two more games beginning at 1 p.m. In the first game UTC will play Virginia Tech, followed by Troy at 3 p.m.
