CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – After pulling off a home sweep of UNCG, the Chattanooga softball team (20-8, 3-0 SoCon), is traveling to Johnson City, Tenn., to take on East Tennessee State (11-15, 1-2 SoCon) on March 28-29 before hosting Tennessee Tech on Tuesday, March 31 at Frost Stadium.
Saturday's contest against the Bucs is set for 3 p.m. ET, while Sunday's doubleheader starts at 1 p.m. UTC's nonconference match up against Tennessee Tech is slated for 6 p.m. For live stats please visit the softball schedule at www.gomocs.com.
Chattanooga, who is first in conference standings and 40th in the NCAA RPI, went 3-1 last weekend, including a three-game victory over UNCG, the only SoCon sweep of the weekend. The Mocs edged the Spartans in both games of Saturday's doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 3-1 before taking series finale 5-4. Cori Jennings earned the win in the final two games of the series, highlighted by 5.0 scoreless innings in relief on Sunday.
It is the 14th time in program history that the Mocs open SoCon play with a sweep. It is also the eighth time that Chattanooga started 3-0 in league action. UTC last claimed an opening SoCon series in 2012, when the Mocs defeated former SoCon member, College of Charleston three games straight.
SCOUTING ETSU
Series: The Mocs come into the weekend with a 1-0 advantage over the Bucs having outplayed them 6-1 in the 2012 edition of the Frost Classic. Taylor Deason led Chattanoog in the circle against ETSU as she tossed a complete game five hitter to improve to 5-2 on the year.
The offense against the Bucs was fueled by former Mocs Vivian Morimoto and Michelle Fuzzard, each driving in two runs during the first game. First baseman Kasey Tydingco added an RBI as well as Chattanooga tallied nine hits.
Buc Notables: The Buccaneers (11-15, 1-2 SoCon) began Southern Conference play on the road versus Western Carolina. While in Cullowhee, N.C., ETSU suffered setbacks in two of three contests versus the Catamounts. ETSU's win in Game One of the series came in 12 innings, with the Bucs manufacturing 12 runs on 14 hits. However, despite their record, the Bucs' feature a handful of statistical SoCon leaders.
Freshman Kelsey Smith remains the SoCon leader for home runs per game (0.35) and RBI per game (1.17). She leads ETSU with eight homers and 27 RBI. Chattanooga native, Cassi Pickett leads the Bucs with a .385 batting average, a mark that ranks 10th in the SoCon.
Centerfielder Nicole Fox has proven to be one of the toughest outs in the league, striking out once per 18.2 at bats, ranking first in the SoCon. She is also the league leader in triples per game (0.12), and leads ETSU in triples (4), hits (33), and runs scored (18). Jenine Duncan leads ETSU with 12 stolen bases, and ranks first in the SoCon for stolen bases per game (0.63).
On the mound, sophomore Taylor Carter is the conference leader for fewest walks per seven innings (1.19), and ranks 25th in the nation in the category.
SCOUTING Tennessee Tech
Series: Chattanooga holds a 12-4 advantage over TTU since first meeting in 1995. Last season, the Mocs swept the Golden Eagles in a midweek doubleheader, going 12-1 and 3-1. UTC took control of the first game, lashing out in the second inning for seven runs on five hits. Jesslyn Stockard led off the inning with a walk and a bunt-single from Criket Blanco put two on with no outs. A fielder's choice moved Stockard to third and Sam Taylor followed up with a double down the left field line to bring two home.
Extending the inning, Sarah Beth Roberts singled to left to drive in two more. With Chattanooga leading 4-0 and two runners on, junior Nicole Osterman cranked her third homerun of the season to extend the Mocs lead to seven runs. Chattanooga added on five runs in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 12-1 and to put Tennessee Tech up against the run rule.
Although the offensive production was not as prevalent as it was in the first game, Chattanooga saved just enough runs to top Tennessee Tech 3-1 in the second game of the day. The pitchers' duel saw Tennessee Tech out-hit the Mocs 7-5, but outstanding pitching from Taylor Deason and Katie Henderson delivered the win for UTC.
Golden Eagle Notables: Tennessee Tech (17-14, 4-3) is coming off a 2-2 weekend, having split against Southeast Missouri and UT Martin. Batting .277, TTU's line up is led by Alyssa Richards, Hannah Eldridge, and Olivia Bennett. Richards has set the bar with a .360 clip to go along with five home runs and 18 RBI, while Eldridge is second on the squad with a .337 mark in addition to four round trippers and 16 runs driven in.
Bennett's .290 batting average ranks third on the team, but the Mentone, Calif. native's outrageous power numbers have been one of the stories so far this season. After slugging three home runs during a Saturday doubleheader against Southeast Missouri, Bennett won the race to double digits in the OVC with a conference-leading 10 long balls, while her 25 RBI put the 5-foot-4 outfielder in a tie for fourth in the league.
In the circle, the Golden Eagles are paced by Danielle Liberatore. The lefty stamped her place in program history after striking out a single-game record 16 UT Martin Skyhawks on route to a 2-1 win in Sunday's first game of a doubleheader. Overall, the sophomore is 10-5 with 2.18 ERA.
APPLYING FOR THE MILLENNIUM CLUB
A 20-8 standing and 3-0 start in SoCon Action has put Head Coach Frank Reed's overall career record at 994-374 and his UTC record at 518-307. He secured his 500th win at Chattanooga this season as the Mocs defeated George Washington, 4-2 and Evansville, 5-3 in the opening day of the Plainsman Invitational. The five-time SoCon Coach of the Year is only 6 wins away from his 1,000th career victory.
SACRIFICING FOR THE TEAM
Junior Criket Blanco is currently first in the SoCon and eighth out of 89 athletes ranked in the NCAA for sacrifice flies. The second baseman stands at four sacrifice flies, improving from her last season total of two. She is only two behind national leader Giana Bilotta from St. Mary's (CA), who has six. Also, garnering national recognition for sacrifice flies are Nicole Osterman and Anyssa Robles. The veterans each hold two apiece to tie for 24th place. Last season, Osterman did not record any sacrifice flies while Robles registered two for the season. Overall, the Mocs have 13 sacrifice flies this season.
SOCON COMMENDS CORI
Chattanooga's Cori Jennings earned her second Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after compiling a 1.56 ERA and going 2-1 in three appearances (two starts) for Chattanooga last week. The freshman pitcher tossed 18.0 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on 19 hits with three walks against nine strikeouts.
Jennings was the tough-luck loser on Tuesday against Georgia State, throwing 6.0 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits with no walks against one strikeout, as the Mocs fell 4-2. She bounced back with 7.0 innings pitched against UNCG on Saturday, allowing just one run on nine hits with five strikeouts to earn the victory. The native of Brush Creek, Tenn. then earned the win in relief on Sunday, pitching 5.0 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits while striking out three.
COACHING CONNECTIONS
Chattanooga and ETSU will see some familiar faces in the opposing dugouts this weekend as both rosters feature coaches who have worked with both teams. The Bucs' head coach Brad Irwin was the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 2006-2010. Irwin also began his coaching career under the watch of current Tennessee coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly at Chattanooga from 1997-99.
Chattanooga's roster features former ETSU athlete, Jacqueline Baird. Playing with the Bucs from 2011-2014 Baird holds the single season (20) and career record (33) for home runs at ETSU. She also holds a single season record 0.776 slugging percentage and 50 RBIs. She helped lead ETSU to seven conference wins in 2014, which was the program's most since 2008. Baird was also a two-time Atlantic Sun All-American First Team member.
DEASON'S DECENT SHUTOUT
Pitching four shut outs this year, Taylor Deason (8-3) ranks 1st in the Southern Conference and 21st in the NCAA. The senior has shutout Appalachian State, Cleveland State, LaSalle and Army. Last year, she dealt out two complete shutouts and aided with four. Deason (8-3) leads the staff in ERA (2.05), appearances (18), innings pitched (78.2) and strikeouts (85).
