CLEARWATER, Fla. --- The Chattanooga Mocs softball team kept its winning ways rolling on Friday evening at the USF Invitational after notching a pair of impressive wins over Wichita State and LIU Brooklyn to improve its record to 20-5 overall this season.
 
Chattanooga (19-5) scored a quality win over AAC-power Wichita State (17-6) by a narrow 3-2 score in game one of the day. The Shockers were receiving votes in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll and were coming off a three-game sweep over Nebraska.
 
Chattanooga (20-5) handled LIU Brooklyn (14-9) by a comfortable 8-1 margin during the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader.
 
BOX SCORE » Chattanooga 3, (RV) Wichita St. 2
Chattanooga continued its common theme of scoring in the opening frame today against Wichita State, marking the 11^th time this season with one or more runs in the first.
 
Playing as the visitors, UTC's Emily Coltharp led the game off with an infield single and later stole second two batters later. Aly Walker followed with a single to right which landed runners at first and third with one out.
 
Emma Sturdivant knocked Coltharp in from third one batter later with an RBI ground out to short to give UTC an early 1-0 lead.
 
Celie Hudson earned her ninth start of the season in the circle for Chattanooga and settled in comfortably following a shaky home half of the first. WSU tied things up 1-1 on the help of a walk and two hit batters.
 
With the game locked at 1-1 in the top of the third, walks from Coltharp, Walker and Sturdivant set up a bases loaded situation with one out. Halie Williamson drew an RBI walk before Amanda Beltran ripped an RBI single to left to put Chattanooga ahead 3-1.
 
Hudson re-gained control in the circle with scoreless second, third, fourth and fifth innings. All four of the innings ended via a strikeout while the junior accumulated seven total over that span.
 
Wichita State rallied to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth but were limited to just one run to cut the deficit to 3-2 due to Hudson's efforts. She faced just four batters in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the victory.
 
Hudson (7-4) went the distance while registering eight strikeouts and allowing seven hits and just two earned runs.
 
Chattanooga finished with five hits as a team including only one extra-base hit, an Alyssa Coppinger double to lead off the top of the fourth. UTC stranded eight while WSU left 12 on the base paths.
 
Notable Performances: Celie Hudson (CG W, 7H, 2ER, 8K); Emily Coltharp (1-for-2, 2 R); Aly Walker (1-for-2, R); Amanda Beltran (1-for-3, RBI)
 
BOX SCORE » Chattanooga 8, LIU Brooklyn 1
After a scoreless first inning, Amanda Beltran got the offense rolling with a one-out, solo homerun deep over the left field fence to give Chattanooga a 1-0 lead mid-way through the second.
 
The bats would continue to lend starting pitcher Mariah Ramirez generous run support. Emily Coltharp led the top of third off with a single and later advanced to third with one out after a Sidney Swantic SAC bunt and wild pitch.
 
Coltharp came in to score on an Aly Walker single to right field to extend the advantage to 2-0. Emma Sturdivant and Amanda Beltran each singled to continue the rally and load the bases with two outs.
 
Devan Brown followed with an RBI walk before Hayleigh Weissenbach ripped an RBI single up the middle to push UTC ahead 4-0. Chattanooga would add a run in the fourth when Halie Williamson drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded to up the edge to 5-0.
 
Katie Corum roped a two-RBI, pinch-hit double in the sixth before Emma Sturdivant chipped in with an RBI double in the seventh to put the Mocs ahead by a sizeable 8-0 margin.
 
Ramirez lost the shutout bid in the bottom of the seventh after a string of LIU Brooklyn hits led to an RBI groundout and moved the score to 8-1. It would be all she allowed during the final frame.
 
Making her 10^th start of the season, Ramirez (9-0) earned her ninth victory after hurling all 7.0 innings while allowing just one earned run and striking out six.
 
Chattanooga went on an offensive-rip, recording 13 hits as a team including four that went for extra-bases. UTC stranded a season-high 13 runners on base while LIU Brooklyn left eight aboard.
 
Notable Performances: Mariah Ramirez (CG W, 10H, ER, 6K); Emily Coltharp (3-for-4, 2 R); Aly Walker (2-for-3, RBI, R); Amanda Beltran (3-for-5, HR, RBI); Emma Sturdivant (2-for-5, 2B, RBI), Katie Corum (1-for-1, 2B, 2 RBI)

CHATTANOOGA NOTABLES
- Chattanooga improves to 20-5 overall… head coach Frank Reed earned his 1,100^th career collegiate coaching victory following win over LIU Brooklyn... career record of 624-416 (.600) in 17+ seasons at UTC... 476-86 (.845) in 11 seasons at Chattanooga State (NJCAA). 
- Amanda Beltran went a combined 4-for-8 with a HR and two RBI… 21^st career homerun moves her into a tie for 10^th on the all-time career HR list at UTC.
- Aly Walker went a combined 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI… has now reached base safely in her last 12 games.
 
UP NEXT
Chattanooga continues play in the USF Invitational tomorrow with a pair of games against Seton Hall (2 p.m.) and North Dakota State (4:15 p.m.). Live stat links are available on the schedule page and are subject to change. We ask fans to please check @GoMocsSB on Twitter for most up-to-date changes.


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