GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Chattanooga softball team opened Southern Conference play Saturday, splitting a pair of games at Furman's Pepsi Field. The Lady Mocs (15-13, 1-1 SoCon) suffered a 4-0 loss to the Paladins (10-13, 1-4) in the afternoon’s first game, but captured a 6-1 victory in game two.
The two squads will square off Sunday (1 p.m. ET) for the rubber match of the three-game series.
After being robbed of a home run by UTC freshman Sam Taylor in the second, the Paladins erupted at the plate, notching all four of their runs off five third-inning hits. The Lady Mocs collected six hits in the game, but were unable to string any together.
Senior Sara Poteat doubled to lead off the game and senior Kasey Tydingco added a single in the second. Taylor and senior Ninjja Suetsugu each finished with two hits for Chattanooga.
Sophomore Taylor Deason (10-7) was charged with the loss for UTC, allowing 10 hits and four earned runs in six innings. The right-hander struck out three batters and walked two while Furman starter Lauren Collier (5-6) fanned three in her complete-game shutout.
Chattanooga 6, Furman 1
The Paladins struck first on a sacrifice fly to left in the bottom of the first inning, but Chattanooga answered later in the second with three runs off three hits and two Furman errors.
The Lady Mocs added another run in the third after back-to-back walks put Suetsugu and Tydingco on base. Junior Kaiti Dutton also received a free pass to the load the bases, while a fielder’s choice off the bat of freshman Alyssa Taylor scored Suetsugu from third. Poteat’s two-run single in the fifth stretched Chattanooga’s lead to 6-1.
UTC freshman Rachel Albritton picked up the win for the Lady Mocs—just the third of her career and first in SoCon play—scattering three hits in seven innings of work. Meaghan Houston (3-5) was charged with the loss for Furman.