CLEARWATER, FLA. --- The Chattanooga Mocs softball team suffered a hard fought sweep on Friday with a 9-6 loss to Monmouth and a 13-12 loss to Illinois in the USF Spring Break Invitational at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.

The pair of losses drops Chattanooga to 7-19 on the year with three games remaining in Clearwater. The Mocs will face Colgate and LIU Brooklyn tomorrow.

Game 1 Recap | Monmouth 9, Chattanooga 6
Chattanooga allowed two runs in the first inning to the designated home team, Monmouth, by way of a two-run double to the gap after three walks in the inning loaded the bases. The Hawks wouldn't hold on to the 2-0 lead very long as Brook Womack un-loaded the bases with a grand slam over the left field fence to give the Mocs a 4-2 lead.

Monmouth would score a run in each of the remaining innings from the third on, putting up a run in the third, three in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to amount to their nine runs.

The only other threat the Mocs would put together was the top of the sixth where back-to-back doubles from Halie Williamson and Amanda Beltran put a run on the board to trim the deficit to 8-5. Aly Walker drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 8-6, but Chattanooga would leave them loaded after a strikeout.

Alex Connell (1-7) suffered the loss in the circle as she came in relief of initial starter Payten Price. Connell went 3.0 innings, allowing five hits, four runs (all earned) and walked two batters. Price tossed 1.0 inning and allowed three hits, four runs (all earned) while walking four. Maddy Adams completed the pitching for Chattanooga going 2.0 innings, allowed two hits while surrendering only one run.

The Mocs pounded out nine hits while leaving nine on base in the loss. J.J. Hamill and Amanda Beltran both had a pair of hits while Womack went 1-for-4 with a HR and four RBI. Hayleigh Weissenbach added a hit and a run scored to extend her hitting streak to six games.

Game 2 Recap | Illinois 13, Chattanooga 12
The Mocs fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first and eventually 4-0 after the top of the third as the Fighting Illini scored three in the frame.

Chattanooga got on the board in the home half of the third after Katy Richardson and Womack both single as Womack was driven home on a Weissenbach double off the top of the right field wall to cut into the deficit making the score 4-1. Richardson later scored on a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Hamill cutting the deficit to 4-2.

Illinois plated four runs in the top of the fifth as the Mocs committed two errors and allowed four hits. Down 8-2, UTC scored a run in the fifth on an Aly Walker double, scoring Hamill from third after she tripled with two outs. The Fighting Illini scored five runs in the top of the sixth on three hits and two UTC errors, extending out a 13-3 lead and pushing the Mocs backs against the mercy run-rule wall.

The bottom of the sixth turned the game around as Chattanooga plated nine runs in the inning on just four hits. The Illini changed pitchers three different times as the three pitchers combined for six walks. Three batters walked home runs while Weissenbach and Conner both singled home a run, Williamson singled home two runs with the bases loaded and Beltran doubled home two runs to cut the 13-3 deficit to 13-12. The Mocs put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the seventh and advanced them to second and third with two outs. They left them stranded and dropped a hard fought one-run game.

Payten Price (5-12) took the loss in the circle throwing 6.0 innings, allowing 11 hits, 13 runs (only 6 earned) while striking out three. Connell threw the final frame, allowing a hit and walked two but didn't let an Illini runner cross the plate.

The Mocs totaled 12 hits in the loss as Hamill and Weissenbach both collected two hits a piece and both scored a run as Weissenbach had two RBI and Hamill one. Williamson went 1-for-1 with a single and two RBI while scoring twice and walking once. Beltran went 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and scored once.

Season Stats Update Thru Friday
- J.J. Hamill went 4-for-8 on Friday .. now leads the team with a .359 batting average this season .. also leads with 28 hits.
- Hayleigh Weissenbach was 3-for-8 on Friday ... extended hitting streak to seven games ... two RBI and two doubles on Friday ... now over .300 batting average on the season at .301.
- Halie Williamson was a perfect 2-for-2 ... scored three times ... totaled two RBI.

Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, March 18 vs. Colgate Noon
Saturday, March 18 vs. LIU Brooklyn 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19 vs. Fairfield 9:00 a.m.