MACON, Ga. --- The Chattanooga Mocs softball team extended its winning streak to four games after another stellar pitching performance from the junior duo of Brooke Parrott and Hannah Wood, downing Mercer 2-1 in the opening game of a three-game Southern Conference series on Saturday evening at Sikes Field in Macon, Ga.

Chattanooga improves to 5-1 in league play and 9-16 overall following the victory. Mercer falls to 1-3 in conference play and 16-15 overall after the loss.

GAME RECAP | BOX

Chattanooga 2, Mercer 1

Chattanooga struck in the first with a two-out rally sparked by four free passes. Courtney Ball was hit by a pitch before Hayleigh Weissenbach and Cameren Swafford drew consecutive walks. Liz Rodebaugh was struck by a pitch on a 1-2 count to bring in Ball from third and give UTC an early 1-0 lead.

Gracey Kruse led off the top of the second with a single and later came around to score on a one-out RBI single from Adison Keylon to extend the Chattanooga advantage to 2-0. Keylon battled in an eight-pitch at-bat before knocking the single through the right side on a 2-2 count.

Mercer struck for a run off starting pitcher Brooke Parrott in the home half of the second when Kailey Helm belted a one-out solo homerun down the line in left. The homer snapped Parrott's scoreless streak at 12.0 innings which dated back to March 28's series finale against Western Carolina.

Parrott kept the Bears off the board during her outing of 5.1 innings with the help of strong defensive efforts around the diamond including web gem performances from Kailey Snell at short and Rodebaugh at first. Parrott retired the Bears in order in each of the third and fourth innings while stranding a runner in the fifth.

Hannah Wood answered the call to the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth inning, inheriting runners at first and second with one out. Wood preceded to record a strike out and a groundout to leave the runners stranded and preserve the one-run lead.

Wood retired the Bears in order in the bottom of seventh to notch her first career save on 1.2 innings of hitless work. Parrot (3-5) earned the victory in the circle after allowing just three hits and one earned run. The pair has recorded two wins and a save apiece during the current four-game winning streak.

Keylon led the Chattanooga offense with its lone multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Kruse and Snell each went 1-for-3 with a single at the plate. UTC finished with just four hits as a team which marked the sixth game out of the last eight with five or less.

SCORING PLAYS
T1st: Liz Rodebaugh hit by pitch, RBI (1-2 BSF); Cameren Swafford advanced to second; Hayleigh Weissenbach advanced to third; Courtney Ball scored. (UTC 1-0)

T2nd: Adison Keylon reached on a fielding error by 1B, RBI (2-2 KBSFBFF); Kailey Snell advanced to third; Gracey Kruse scored. (UTC 2-0)

B2nd: Kylie Helm homered to left field, RBI (2-0 BB). (UTC 2-1)

UP NEXT
Chattanooga (9-16, 5-1 SoCon) wraps up the three-game series against Mercer (16-15, 1-3 SoCon) tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET. Live stat links to both games can be found on the schedule page.  

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