Courtesy: Jeff Hurndon
Sophomore Jessica Traxler is mobbed by her teammates as she tied the second game at two with a homer off the scoreboard in right center.
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Chattanooga at UNC Greensboro
May 1, 2010 |
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Greensboro, N.C. (UNCG Softball Stadium)
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| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
R |
H |
E |
| UTC (36-13, 16-3) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
| UNCG (23-25, 10-8) |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
WP: Kandice Irwin (10-0) LP: Amber Harrell (11-13)
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Chattanooga at UNC Greensboro
May 1, 2010 |
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Greensboro, N.C. (UNCG Softball Stadium)
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| Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| UTC (37-13, 17-3) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
14 |
1 |
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UNCG (23-26, 10-9)
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2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Game Notes:
- Junior Kandice Irwin picked up win number 10 on the season, while striking out a season-high seven in the contest.
- Senior Brooke Loudermilk picked up her 16th victory of the season striking out eight. Loudermilk also notched her 200th strikeout of the season in the seventh inning.
- The 14 hits were the most in a regulation game for Chattanooga as it registered 15 in an 11 inning contest at Georgia Southern
- The home run by sophomore Jessica Traxler was her third of the season sparking the Lady Mocs offense.
- Senior Tia Blosser put the Lady Mocs up for good in game two with a home run to center. It was the fifth long ball of the season by the Knoxville, Tenn., native.
- Blosser and Baker each went 3-for-4 in game two, while Blosser drove in three runs.
- Five different players, Baker (3), Blosser (3), Lauren Flores (2), Kaiti Kelley (2) and Traxler (2) had multi-hit games.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team won its fourth-straight and 12th overall Southern Conference Regular Season Title with a 3-2 game one win in eight innings and a 6-2 victory in game two. Sophomore Jessica Traxler (Chino Hills, Calif.) and senior Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.) each hit two-runs home runs in the fifth inning of the second game as senior Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) threw a one hitter.
The Lady Mocs took game one 3-2 in eight innings as junior Lauren Flores (Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga.) drove in freshman Kasey Tydingco (Fairfield, Calif.) on a sacrifice fly in the extra frame. Junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.) knotted the score at two plating junior Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.) with a single up the middle in the sixth.
"We were able to win another extra inning game today as we had one last week and another at Georgia Southern," said head coach Frank Reed. "We took care of business when we needed to. I thought that we would come out understanding the things that we needed to do and I got on them between games. Fourteen hits in the second game was big for us along with the two home runs. We had some well hit balls and I am excited that everything - hitting, pitching and fielding - came together today for us. The pressure has been multiplied this year by playing so many extra inning and close games. I am really proud of them [for winning the conference regular season title] and its very deserving for a hard working squad."
Entering today's conference matchup, Chattanooga's (37-13, 17-3 SoCon) magic number to clinch the SoCon Title with Elon in second place was set at four. The Phoenix dropped both games of a doubleheader at Georgia Southern, 3-2 and 14-9. The final score of those games gave the Lady Mocs the title and right to host the 2010 Southern Conference Tournament, which will be May 13-14 at Frost Stadium.
"It is a great feeling," said Loudermilk after hearing about the losses by Elon. "We were all screaming on the bus. It is good to know that going into the last weekend there is no pressure. Over the past four years, we have had some great players and I know that the current team will keep going."
The finale of the three-game series against UNC Greensboro (23-26, 10-9 SoCon) is slated for Sunday with the first pitch at 1 p.m. from UNCG Softball Stadium. Chattanooga returns home for Fan Appreciation Day on May 8 with a doubleheader against College of Charleston scheduled for 1 p.m. The final home contest for the Lady Mocs is May 9 as five seniors will be honored prior to the game.
Game One: Chattanooga 3, UNC Greensboro 2 (8 innings)
The UTC softball team once again overcame a one-run deficit in the sixth inning with a run to tie the contest at two as Baker drove in Stiles on second. A sacrifice fly by Flores in the eighth plated Tydingco, who lead off with a single through the right side, put the Lady Mocs up for good 3-2.
In the circle, junior Kandice Irwin (Knoxville, Tenn.) had another phenomenal relief performance for the Lady Mocs going 6.1 innings and striking out seven. Waters started the game going 1.2 innings and yielding two unearned runs on two hits.
In the second, the Spartans got on the board first as Heather Robb walked on an illegal pitch call by Waters during a full count. She advanced to second as a fielding miscue on a grounder up the middle by Whitney Sirois. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, Brittany Ausley delivered a double to right center giving UNCG a 2-0 advantage.
In the third inning, senior Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led off with a single up the middle. A sacrifice bunt by Traxler and a throwing error by the third baseman allowed Eason to take third. The Lady Mocs scored the first run of the game on a groundout to the second by Tydinco.
To start the sixth, Stiles doubled to right center and after two-straight outs Baker singled up the middle as the second baseman was unable to make a specatular diving catch as the soft liner died behind second.
The Lady Mocs would need extra innings and Tydinco led off the eighth with a single through the right side, then Blosser bunted her over to second on a sacrifice. Baker drew a walk and Waters loaded the bases with a single off the pitcher's glove into a vacnat between first and second base.
The eventual game-winning run by Tydingco was scored on a sacrifice fly by Flores. The center fielder Kristen Gabel caught the ball and threw a bullet to the plate that beat the runner, but the catcher could not hold onto it after applying the tag.
During the bottom-half, the Spartans made it interesting with a one-out single through the right side and after a fielder's choice. A wild pitch from Irwin on a strikeout allowed for runners to occupy the corner bases. Irwin ended the game for the Lady Mocs with a groundout to second.
Pacing the UNC Greensboro offense was Ausley going 3-for-4 with the 2-RBI double, while Alex Emeterio, Kaitlin Merkt and Laura Olenderski also notched hits. In the circle, Amber Harrell threw a complete game giving up just six hits and striking out four.
Game Two: Chattanooga 6, UNC Greensboro 2
The UTC softball team responded after a two-run homer by Eileen Hormsman in the first with a five-run fifth highlighted by two-run round trippers by Traxler and Blosser. Loudermilk threw a complete game one hitter for the Lady Mocs striking out eight topping the 200 plateau for the season.
The Lady Mocs banged out 14 hits during the contest as they scored six runs, but Chattanooga had numerous other chances to add to its lead by leaving atleast two runners on base in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh.
Starting the fifth inning rally was senior Lynleigh Hurndon (McDonough, Ga.) drawing a walk, which was followed by an opposite field blast off the scoreboard in right center by Traxler. It was the third home run of the season for the Chino Hills, Calif., native.
"I was not really seeing the ball well and you could tell that by my other at bats," said Traxler. "I did not want to lose the game, so I was just thinking about seeing the ball and hitting it hard somewhere."
After a double off the base of the fence in right field, Blosser ripped into a two-strike pitch lifting it over the center field fence. The round tripper by the Knoxville, Tenn., native was the fifth of the season.
"I was pumped," said Blosser following the homer. "That was an inning that the team needed and it was awesome to see the bats came alive. Trax really started it off by hitting the home run to tie it up."
After a single by junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.), Flores singled advancing Waters, who reached on a fielder's choice to second. Senior Kaiti Kelley (Chattanooga, Tenn.) singled to the third allowing the sixth run of the inning to cross the plate.
Finishing off the contest, Loudermilk only allowed three runners to reach base in the final six innings on an error and two walks.
In the circle for UNCG, Cory Mattson started giving up four runs and striking out two through 4.1 innings, Raeanne Hanks threw 2.1 innings yielding two runs and Harrell finished the contest record in the final out of the seventh.
