CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga Mocs softball team got in one game on Day Two of the Frost Classic and came away with an 11-9 win over Eastern Illinois at Warner Park. The Mocs improve to 5-2 on the year.
 
Eastern Illinois put up five first inning runs and Chattanooga made a steady comeback to take a 6-5 lead in the third. The Panthers retook the lead in the fourth, but Chattanooga broke it open in the fifth and never trailed again.
 
"We spot them five runs and we still inched our way back with timely hitting," Mocs head coach Frank Reed said. "Once we went ahead I felt pretty good about it, but honestly, got a little nervous again when it started raining again and the pitchers are just trying to hold onto the ball."
 
Rain returned during the Mocs game making the field a muddy mess and slippery in the grass, but UTC put together a strong offensive effort for the win.
 
Trailing 5-0 after just the first half inning, the Mocs put up three runs in the bottom of the inning. Emily Coltharp led off with a double and Riley Kokinda drew a walk. Kaili Phillips singled through the left side to load the bases for Presley Williamson.
 
Williamson reached on a fielding error by the right fielder that resulted in a score by Coltharp to put the Mocs on the board. Acelynn Sellers singled down the left field line to plate Kokinda to make it 5-2.
 
Eastern Illinois made a pitching change and the resulting wild pitch sent Phillips home for the third run of the inning for Chattanooga with nobody out. EIU got out of the inning on the next three batters.
 
Addy Keylon put another run on the board for the Mocs with a lead-off homer in the second. With two outs, Phillips drew a walk to reach base for the second time in as many plate appearances and reach third on a single from Williamson. Sellers picked up her second RBI with a single through the left side sending Phillips home.
 
The Mocs led off the third with a single from Jayce Purdy and EIU again made a pitching change, bringing its starter Alexa Rehmeier back into the circle. She got the next two batters out, but Coltharp drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Anna Dovey came in to pinch hit for Kokinda and Reed put Shayna Glass at second to run for Purdy.
 
Dovey singled up the middle and Glass scored on a throwing error by the first baseman to put UTC on top 6-5 for its first lead of the game.
 
That would only last until the top of the ensuing inning. After a pair of hits put runners in scoring position, Peja Goold stepped in for Alyssa Lavdis and struck out the next two batters. However a single though the left side scored both runners and the Mocs were looking up again.
 
It would be the bottom of the fifth before the Mocs responded scoring four runs. Coltharp singled and stole second and Kokinda walked. Phillips' single down the line scored Coltharp from second.
 
Sellers would be the bit hit of the day with a three-run homer with a pair of outs to put Chattanooga up 10-7.
 
Eastern Illinois scored in the top of the sixth, cutting the Mocs lead to 10-8, but UTC would get the run back in the bottom of the inning on a double by Kokinda to score Coltharp for the third time.
 
The Panthers scored one more run in the seventh but couldn't put together a rally and the Mocs walked away with an 11-9 win.
 
All five of the Mocs pitchers played with Izzy Alley making the start. Alyssa Lavdis played three in relief while Peja Goold got the win pitching 2.2 innings. Taylor Long came on late and Brooke Parrott got the save.
 
"I pitched all of our pitchers today to get through the weather," Reed said. "When it came back in on us we struggled."
 
Coltharp and Sellers were each 3-for-4. Seller had five RBI on the day and Coltharp scored three times. Phillips was 2-for-3, also scoring three times and drew a pair of walks. The Mocs had 11 runs on 14 hits and left 11 on while drawing seven walks and struck out five times. Chattanooga's pitchers combined for 10 hits with seven walks and struck out eight.
 
"It's not ideal weather for us to play in," Reed said " but you know, sometimes diversity like that really builds a team. I saw our team really come together today and pull out that victory and you can't be more proud of them than that."
 
Chattanooga will return to the diamond Sunday morning to conclude play in the annual Frost Classic. UTC will host UNLV on Field #3 at Warner Park at 10:00 a.m. and close with Akron at 3:00 p.m.
 
Gates open one hour prior to first pitch and tickets are on sale at the Frost Stadium ticket booth.
 
Sunday Schedule
10:00 a.m.
Field #2:               Eastern Illinois vs. Western Michigan
Field #3:               UNLV vs. Chattanooga
 
12:30 p.m.
Field #2:               Akron vs. SEMO
Field #3:               UNLV vs. Memphis
 
3:00 p.m.
Field #2:               SEMO vs. Memphis
Field #3:               Akron vs. Chattanooga