Courtesy: Jeff Hurndon
Junior Tiffany Baker gave Chattanooga the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run home run in game two.
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UAB at Chattanooga
April 14, 2010 |
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Chattanooga, Tenn. (Frost Stadium)
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| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| UAB (25-12) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
| UTC (31-9) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
WP - Alisha Smith (9-7) LP - Brooke Loudermilk (15-7)
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UAB at Chattanooga
April 14, 2010 |
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Chattanooga, Tenn. (Frost Stadium)
|
| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| UAB (25-12) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
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UTC (31-9)
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0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
Game Notes:
-455 spectators made their way out to Frost Stadium for Beast Cancer Awareness Night as the Lady Mocs wore pink T-shirts with their numbers on the back.
-Junior Tiffany Baker hit her first home run of the season at Frost Stadium on Wednesday. It was the 12th on the season and 30th career blast for Baker.
-Junior Nikki Waters went deep into the gam for the fourth time in her last six appearances with three being complete games. The other was one out short allowing junior Kandice Irwin to register her 12th save of the season at Geogia Southern.
-Junior Lauren Flores regained her confidence after snapping a 11-game hit streak at Georgia Southern. She banged out fouth hits in the twin bill including going 3-for-3 in the first game
-Freshman Sara Poteat stole her second base of the season.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.) put the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team, who wore pink T-shirts for Breast Cancer Awareness, on top with a two-run home run in a 2-1 victory over UAB that was aided by a five hitter from junior Nikki Waters (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.). The Lady Mocs split the series at Frost Stadium dropping the first game 3-1 to the Blazers, but banged out 10 hits and left nine on base leading to the doubleheader split.
"I was seeing the ball very well tonight," said Baker following the game-winning blast. "I had a decent hit to center, a hit to left and my timing was down. The homerun swing was big because I was reading the pitcher's body language and knew that my pitch was coming."
Aiding the Lady Mocs offense was junior Lauren Flores (Ft. Ogelthorpe, Ga.), who went 4-for-5 in the doubleheader along with a sacrifice hit. Baker was the run producer driving in all three runs for Chattanooga going 3-for-6.
"We had plenty of offense in the first game, but we didn't have it at the right time," said head coach Frank Reed. "We did the same thing at Georgia Southern. If we come through when we have runners on, then we win both games hands down. Instead, we find ourselves in a split."
With Waters picking up the five hit complete game victory, Chattanooga improved its record to 31-10 on the season, while UAB fell to 26-13 as both teams resume conference play this weekend.
"It's a conference matchup so everything matters," said Reed about hosting Elon. "We would love nothing better than to put some distance between them. They should be great games for people who want to come out and watch."
This weekend the Lady Mocs host a crucial Southern Conference series with second-place Elon. Saturday's doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. is sponsored by the 3H Group, - "Hotels that work for you" - who will be on hand to give out 300 waters bottles to fans entering Frost Stadium. The finale of the three-game series begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Game One: UAB 3, Chattanooga 1
The UTC softball team scored the first run of the contest and compiled 10 hits, but stranded nine runners in a 3-1 loss to UAB. Flores led the team with a 3-for-3 performance, while Baker drove in the only run for the Lady Mocs on a sacrifice fly in the first.
The starting pitcher for the Lady Mocs was senior Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.), who went 4.2 innings and gave up three runs on four hits, while striking out three. Junior Kandice Irwin (Knoxville, Tenn.) came on strong once again as a reliever tossing 2.1 innings without giving up a base knock.
Leading off the game for the Lady Mocs, junior Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.) drew a walk and senior Kaiti Kelley (Chattanooga, Tenn.) singled to the second baseman, who was moving the cover the base as Stiles attempted to steal second. With a runner in scoring position, Baker singled up the middle plating the speedy Stiles from second, but a cutoff by the pitcher erased Kelley at second.
The Blazers tied the score at one in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly.
With one out in the fourth, Kayla Orr put UAB into lead in a hurry with a home run to left field. Pinch hitter Catherine Douglass had an opportunity to extend the lead, but third baseman Baker was able to snag a liner at her shoe tops with a runner on second.
Two walks and a single to left by Mandy Lowman plated the third run of the game for the Blazers, who took a 3-1 lead.
Alisha Smith was the pitcher for the Blazers throwing a complete game and striking out seven. Orr went 2-for-3 in the matinee including a solo homer.
Game Two: Chattanooga 2, UAB 1
A Baker two-run blast over the center field fence lifted the UTC softball team over UAB at Frost Stadium. Waters came through with another gem in the circle throwing a complete game five hitter against the Blazers.
The Soddy Daisy, Tenn., native threw 7.0 innings and struck out three, keeping the hitters off balance with a curveball and changeup as the Lady Mocs defense came up with 12 ground ball outs.
The Blazers scored first on a sacrifice fly to center during their first at bat, but were unable to consistently solve Waters scattering five hits in the contest.
Reaching third base in the fourth was Kelley after a leadoff single and advanced on a ground out and fly out. Kelley and sophomore Jenny Martin (East Ridge, Tenn.) would be stranded in the inning.
In the fifth, a throw right on the money from sophomore shortstop Jessica Traxler (Chino Hills, Calif.) to senior catcher Lynleigh Hurndon (McDounough, Ga.) ended frame as UAB was poised to add to its 1-0 advantage. Hornsby, pinch ran after Sisson was hit by a pitch, was out on the play on an aggressive move by UAB head coach Marla Townsend,
After an infield single by freshman Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.), who advanced to third after stealing second and a wild pitch. Poteat was picked off with Kelley at the plate and Stiles on first via a walk to end the frame. On the play, Stiles was stealing second and catcher Mandy Lowman decided to throw down to third.
The two-run blast in the bottom of the sixth from Baker, the 12th of the season, scored Flores, who reached on a single to the second baseman in the hole up the middle.
At the top of the line up for UAB, Martina Landrum and Kate Armstrong combined to go 5-for-6 in the night cap, but the rest of the Blazer hitters were kept off balance by Waters.
Pitching for the visitors was Lauren Webster, who took the loss to fall to 12-5 on the season, fanning three batters.
