GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Chattanooga split the second day of the 2024 Southern Conference Championship, falling 5-4 to UNCG before beating Samford 7-3 in the consolation bracket final. The Mocs take on the Spartans Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Championship Game. A win by UTC will force a game two in the double-elimination tournament.
Jayce Purdy went 3-for-6 Saturday with a home run and two RBI.
Acelynn Sellers drove in three runs on a 2-for-6 effort that included two home runs.
Olivia Lipari was 3-for-7 and
Kaili Phillips was 2-for-5.
Peja Goold went 11 innings with a 1.91 ERA over the two games. She struck out 17 but walked nine in the first game. She had a career-high 11 strikeouts against the Bulldogs and did not allow a single free pass.
GAME 1 | #2 UNCG 5, #1 Chattanooga 4
UNCG got on the board first, scoring a run in the second on a double with two on base.
The Mocs put together a three-run two-out rally in the bottom of the third to take the lead.
Jayce Purdy led off with a single back to the pitcher but was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice that put
Acelynn Sellers on.
Kailey Snell singled up the middle to put runners at first and second.
Camryn Cernuto grounded out but advanced Sellers and Snell into scoring position.
With two outs and two on,
Olivia Lipari laced a shot past the pitcher and up the middle, sending two runs home to give Chattanooga the lead.
Baileigh Pitts followed with another single up the middle, scoring Lipari from second and the Mocs led 3-1 after three innings.
The fourth saw the Spartans retake the lead with four runs. Two runners reached on walks and with one out on a sac bunt, Mocs head coach
Frank Reed made a pitching change, bringing in
Taylor Long. UNCG took the pitch to the fence in left center for a two-run double.
Goold returned to the circle with two runners on. A sac bunt moved the runners up to second and third, setting up a single to score two more runs.
A questionable out call at first left the bases empty for
Acelynn Sellers. She took a 1-0 count over the fence in deep center field to pull Chattanooga to within one run in the fourth.
Neither team scored the rest of the way, sending Chattanooga to the consolation bracket. The winner of that game will take on UNCG Saturday afternoon in the championship game.
Lipari was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Pitts drove in a run on one hit as did Sellers.
Peja Goold went five innings with six strikeouts and nine free passes with three earned runs on three hits.
Taylor Long made a brief appearance, allowing two runs while
Alyssa Lavdis finished the final two innings.
GAME 2 | Chattanooga xx, Samford xx
Samford opened up the game with a three-run homer in the top of the first for an early lead. The Bulldogs reached on an error and a walk. After a swinging strikeout and an infield fly rule out, Samford hit a home run over the fence in left field.
Peja Goold entered the game in the top of the second and sat down the side.
Kendall Fosythe led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to left center on a 1-0 count. With two outs,
Jayce Purdy got a hit over first and into right for a single.
Acelynn Sellers then sent it out of the park to tie the game 3-3 and breathed new life into the Mocs offense.
Samford led off the third with a single and a sac bunt that didn't go far was picked up by a charging
Kaili Phillips who tagged out the runner near the plate and ran back to third to hold the runner on second. Goold struck out the next two to end the inning, stranding one.
Chattanooga added three more runs in the fourth. Phillips drew a walk to get on base. She slid into second on a passed ball and the throw ended up at the fence in right center. She hopped up, rounded home and scored standing up to give the Mocs their first lead of the game, 4-3.
Addy Keylon drew a walk, the second of the inning off Mackenzie Newcomb. Purdy homered to left field to put the Mocs up 6-3.
In the top of the sixth, before the first pitch, the skies opened wide and teams were sent to their bus to wait out the rain delay.
After a 75 minute rain delay, Samford came back to bat and led off with a double. Goold struck out the next two before the next batter reached on an error. Goold struck out the last batter to end the inning with two stranded.
Chattanooga loaded the bases in the bottom half of the sixth with a walk and a pair of singles that didn't get past the pitcher. With two outs,
Presley Williamson pinch hit for
Kailey Snell and patiently drew a walk to send in a run, putting UTC up 7-3.
In the top of the seventh, Goold struck out two and Phillips picked up a bunt to for the final out sending the Mocs to the Championship Game Saturday afternoon.
The Mocs will take on UNC Greensboro at 1:00 p.m. at the UNCG Softball Stadium. Follow all the action online at GoMocs.com.
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