Courtesy: Jeff Hurndon
Junior Kandice Irwin saved the game for Chattanooga as Furman rallied for three late inning runs.
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Chattanooga vs. Furman
March 14, 2010 |
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Chattanoooga, Tenn. (Frost Stadium)
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| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| FUR (2-5) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
| UTC (15-7) |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
WP - Brooke Loudermilk (10-5) LP - Kayla Suskauer (0-1)
Game Notes:
- Senior Lyndsey Stiles registered her first sacrifice fly of her career.
- Senior Kaiti Kelley drove in her ninth runner of the season, which is the third most on the team.
- Senior Brooke Loudermilk struckout seven batters in game one raising her career strikeout total to 761 inching closer to UTC and SoCon leader Beth Alexander at 785.
- Junior Kandice Irwin notched her fifth save of the season, she moves into a tie for fourth with Lacey Swarthout. Loudermilk is the all-time leader with 10.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On an overcast day, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team defeated Furman, 4-3, Sunday thanks to a four-run second inning at Frost Stadium. Keying the victory was junior Kandice Irwin (Knoxville, Tenn.) pitching a five-out save.
“I spent the entire game warming up, not knowing when I would get my chance” said closer Irwin. “I felt confident going in with being warm and I knew that I could mix my pitches. So I just went out there and pitched my game and was not worried about the score or people on base.”
Chattanooga improved to 15-7 overall and 3-0 in conference play, while Furman fell to 2-6 on the season and 0-3 in the Southern Conference.
Senior Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) started the game for Chattanooga going 5.1 innings, while striking out seven and giving up three earned runs in the final two frames.
Last night's run producer, junior Nikki Waters (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) drew a leadoff walk in the second. Senior Brittany Eason reached base on a sacrifice bunt attempt when the throw from the catcher pulled the second baseman off the bag.
After a walk to sophomore Jessica Traxler (Chino Hills, Calif.) to load the bases, junior Lauren Flores (Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga.) drove in the first run with an infield single that the first baseman knocked down saving at least one run for the time being. Junior Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.) then hit her first sacrifice fly of the season to plate the second run moving two runners into scoring position.
Senior Kaiti Kelley (Chattanooga, Tenn.) put the Lady Mocs up three by beating out a ground ball to the second. On the next pitch, Kelley stole her first base of the season and advanced to third when Furman's catcher threw the ball into centerfield. The errant throw allowed Flores to score giving UTC its fourth unearned run of the inning.
In the fifth inning, the Paladins scored their first run with a solo home run to left centerfield by Brythe Blankenship. Morgan Hughey followed it up in the next inning with a two-run shot over the left field fence to cut Chattanooga's lead down to one, 4-3.
With the pressure on, Irwin relieved Loudermilk and shut down Furman picking up her fifth save of the season. It was also Irwin's seventh career save. In the first at bat against Lana Mackey, the current Furman pitcher, the hard throwing right hander baffled the hitter with a change up on the second pitch.
Furman used two different pitchers in the game, with Kayla Suskauer starting, and Mackey, who came in during the second with the bases loaded.
Chattanooga returns to Frost Stadium on Tuesday with a single contest vs. Tennesee Tech at 5 p.m. The Lady Mocs play their second midweek game on Thursday against Eastern Illinois, which is a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
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