CHARLESTON, S.C. --- The Mocs opened the 2023 season with a 4-3 win over James Madison Friday morning at the Charleston Challenge. Chattanooga's second game against host College of Charleston was suspended due to heavy rains after one out in the first inning.
The Mocs trail the Cougars 1-0 after a lead-off home run by Charleston in the bottom of the inning.
Chattanooga started the day with a 4-3 win over James Madison on seven hits.
Brooke Parrott went all seven innings.
Kendall Forsythe and
Presley Williamson each had a home run for the Mocs.
JMU got the scoring started in the first inning plating a run on a sac fly from Hallie Hall to centerfield, scoring Hannah Shifflet.
That lead wouldn't last for long and would be the Dukes last. Forsythe cranked a shot over the left field fence on a 3-1 count with
Kaili Phillips on base to put Chattanooga on top 2-1 through the first inning.
In the bottom of the fourth Williamson also put the ball over the fence in left to increase the Mocs lead to 3-1. She recorded a bases-loaded walk on four straight pitches, sending
Kailey Snell in for the score.
The Mocs had a slight scare in top of the seventh. With one runner on, JMU's Bella Henzler hit the ball into the fence in left field and the Mocs left fielder crashed into the wall in an attempt to make the play. Henzler never stopped and had an inside the park home run with a pair of RBIs to bring the Dukes to within a run with no outs.
JMU's Reed Butler fouled out to first baseman
Acelynn Sellers and Isabelle Fishman grounded out to third base on a 2-1 count for two outs. The final out came on a flyout to centerfield on a full count to end the game.
The Mocs game against Charleston is slated to resume at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, weather permitting.
TEAM RECORDS
Chattanooga: 1-0
James Madison: 0-1
UP NEXT
Resume Friday's rain-delayed game against College of Charleston when the tournament restarts.
QUOTES FROM THE HEAD COACH – FRANK REED
"First game win the season is great for anybody. That sort of sets the tone for the rest of the season. You don't know how you're going to perform, you think you're ready, then you have doubts. So, a couple homeruns, you know, we weren't expecting and it was exciting to get to see those kids hit those home runs, and put a few runs on the board. I think, you know, hindsight 2020 If we could go back and do it over again we'd have scored a little later when we had opportunities with bases loaded one out, that sort of would have put it away instead of giving them a chance in the seventh."
On the play of Brooke Parrott
"Brook pitched an awesome game. Our plan going in was to split the time with Brooke. After seeing how strong she looked and was getting the outs there, especially fifth and sixth, I thought, let's just hang with her in the seventh and see what happens. We made a good choice staying with Brooke."
"We need to clean up a little bit of the hitting where we can get the score and don't count on a four-run lead."
