CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Chattanooga erased a six‑run deficit with a pair of explosive late‑inning rallies and walked away with an 8–7 extra‑inning victory over Georgia State on Tuesday night at Jim Frost Stadium. The win moves the Mocs to 13–20‑1 on the season.
Down 6-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, Chattanooga erupted for five runs, capped off by a two-run blast from
Mia Leone, to force extras. Senior
Baileigh Pitts delivered the decisive blow, a two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth with nobody out and bases loaded.
Zoe Wright led off the seventh with a single and back-to-back walks to
Ava Cowart and
Annika Segedi loaded the bases. Pitts hit a sac fly to right center, driving in the first run of the inning. Segedi stole second and a pick off attempt at third that sailed into left field sent Cowart across the plate to make it 6-3 and with Segedi scrambling to third.
Anna Dovey walked to put runners at the corners and
Abi Bunts' sac fly to center, made it a 6-4 game.
Mocs head coach
Frank Reed sent
Grace Hixson to run for Dovey who advanced to second on the sac fly, and
Mia Leone to pinch hit for
Raven Jones. On a 1-0 count, Leone drove the fence in left field to tie the game at 6-6 with two outs.
The inning ended on a fly out to left field with a runner on.
Georgia State's lead off reached on a single back to the circle. She went to second on a wild pitch and took third on a ground out back to the pitcher. A double to right center gave the Panthers a 7-6 advantage heading into the home half of the inning.
After the Mocs batted around in the seventh, Wright led off the eighth with a single to left center and Cowart, attempting to sacrifice her over, reached on an infield bunt single. Segedi walked and to load the bases with nobody out.
Georgia State went back to their starting pitcher to face Pitts. The Ringgold, Ga., senior watched the first three pitches and then took a 2-1 count to the fence in right center, driving in Wright and Cowart for the tying and game winning runs.
Wright and Cowart went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Pitts was 2-for-4 with a double, sac fly and drove in three runs. In her lone plate appearance, Leone went 1-for-1 with two RBI on a home run. The Mocs scored eight runs on 10 hits with eight base on balls and stranded eight.
Emery Bales went pitched the first six innings and was relieved in the seventh by
Sophia Guerra before returning in the eighth. She struck out four and issued just two walks. Guerra struck out one and allowed one run in one inning of work.
Georgia State put two runs on the board in each of the first two innings then opened up its lead with three in the fifth to go up 5-1. The Panters added one more in each of the final two innings, including the go-ahead run in the eighth. GSU had 12 hits including two doubles and drew four walks.
Chattanooga returns to Southern Conference play with a double header Friday and one game on Saturday. Start time is 1:00 p.m. both days. Live stats and video streaming is available both days.
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