UTC-Furman Box Score (Game 1)
UTC-Furman Box Score (Game 2)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga softball began its quest for an unprecedented 11th Southern Conference championship in dominant fashion Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from Furman. The Lady Mocs (10-11/2-0 SoCon) took both contests from the Paladins (6-10/0-2 SoCon) by 2-0 scores to extend its winning streak to a season-long five games.
Tiffany Baker carried the big bat for UTC, going a combined 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Toni Hutchison is also pitched in at the plate with three hits in the games to extend her hitting streak to seven games.
Chattanooga was especially dominant in the circle on Saturday as three of its pitchers, Kandice Irwin, Brooke Loudermilk and Michelle Fuzzard, allowed no runs, six Paladin hits, while striking out 16 batters.
“I happy with the wins,” head coach Frank Reed said. They are conference wins, so I will take them however we can get them. We hit the ball well and got great pitching from all three pitchers, so hopefully we can come out with the same intensity on Sunday and go for the sweep.”
In the first game, the Lady Mocs struck in the bottom of the second thanks to Baker's third home run of the season. Irwin (4-6) was able to keep the Paladin bats quiet through the first four innings as the sophomore carried a no-hitter into the top of the fifth. The no-no would be broken up with the first batter of the inning however, as Morgan Hughey gave Furman its first hit with an infield single.
A sacrifice bunt advanced Hughey to second, and then Lana Mackey singled to put two runners on. Reed would make a call to bullpen to bring in Loudermilk, who promptly disposed of the next two batters via a foul out to first and a strikeout.
Baker gave UTC a big insurance run in the bottom of the frame with a RBI single to bring in Lyndsey Stiles, putting Chattanooga up 2-0. Loudermilk would dominate the next two innings, facing the minimum six batters to pick up her first save of the season and the team's first conference win of 2009.
Fuzzard (4-4) took the circle for the Lady Mocs in game two and picked up right where Loudermilk left off, scattering only three Furman hits through the first four innings. The Chattanooga offense was finally able to give its pitcher some support in the fourth thanks to a two out, two-run single by Jenni Martin.
That would be all Fuzzard needed in the game as the sophomore allowed only one more hit to give UTC the sweep, 2-0. The righty struck out a career-tying eight batters in the game to win her third straight decision.
The Lady Mocs will go for its sixth straight win and a sweep of the Paladins on Sunday at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available at GoMocs.com.
