Chattanooga State softball started its season off with a bang by defeating #1 nationally ranked Yavapai, the 2011 defending national champions, 7-2, in Henderson, Nev.
The win vs. Yavapai was one of 10 victories as Beth Keylon-Randolph’s Tigers went 10-0 in Chattanooga State’s annual opening season tournament.
LSU signee Ashley Czechner pitched the Tigers to five wins including a no-hitter against powerhouse North Idaho. Janna Scheff won four games, while the 2011 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year, Lacye Walker, won her game vs.
#9 ranked Pima, 7-2.
Czechner also shutout perennial national champion Central Arizona 9-0. In that game, Walker belted a home run and went 5-for-5, driving in six of the nine runs.
Other wins included a sweep of North Idaho, 4-0 and 16-9. After Czechner’s first game no-hitter Tiger hitters knocked out four home runs in the 16-9 win. Other teams that fell to Chattanooga State included South Mountain (7-0), Arizona Western (4-2), Glendale College (12-0), Phoenix College (12-4) and host school College of Southern Nevada (7-1).
On the tournament the Tigers batted .397 with 13 home runs. Walker and Kortney Koroll each had three HRs while Beth Breeden and Marina Wilkerson each had two. Breeden’s was a grand slam in the first inning of the second game vs. North Idaho.
Shelby Johnson led all Tiger hitters with a .576 BA and ran wild on the bases, swiping 14.
On the plane flight home Coach Randolph said, “What a great way to start the season. Of course, the wins are extremely nice but it was the way in which my team has worked to get ready for the season and the spirit in which they played the tournament that is the most gratifying. They are truly coachable and love the game of softball.”
Tiger softball travels to St. Petersburg, Fla., on Feb. 16 for seven games of scheduled play vs. teams from Florida.