The Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team (14-10) plays two midweek games Tuesday and Wednesday after wrapping up a three-day weekend at the USF Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla. Chattanooga's sixth and seventh matchups of the 2013 spring break trip come against Boston University and Quinnipiac before the team heads to Greenville, S.C. to open up Southern Conference play against Furman.
Chattanooga is coming off a 4-1 weekend at the South Florida tournament, claiming wins against Temple, Toledo, Wagner Loyola-Marymount with its only loss coming to Villanova.
It's the first season the Lady Mocs have claimed four wins in a Clearwater trip since winning four-of-six in 2005 and 2007, and four-of-seven in 2004.
Over the three-day weekend, sophomore Sarah Beth Roberts (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) hit a quiet .500 with nine hits in 18 plate appearances. The third baseman doubled twice and drove in a team-high seven runs over five games. Senior Sara Poteat (Thomaston, Ga.) was impressive at the plate, as was freshman Alyssa Taylor (Orange, Calif.). Both middle infielders scored six runs while Poteat led the two with nine hits and three stolen bases. Poteat led the team with 12 total bases and Taylor followed closely behind Roberts with six runs driven in. Taylor was nearly unstoppable against Toledo, going a career-best four-for-five with five RBI and two runs.
First pitch of Tuesday's game against Boston University is set for 11 a.m. at Eddie C. Moore Field. It is the fourth time the two teams have met with the Terriers taking the previous three meetings. All three games have been played at a South Florida tournament and each time Boston has managed five or more runs against the Lady Mocs. Falling at a combined score of 16-10, the last contest between the two schools was a 6-4 win over UTC in 2008.
Standing at 6-9 overall, the Terriers are 3-2 in Clearwater so far this season. Boston has claimed wins over Quinnipiac, Wagner and Youngstown State while losing to Villanova and Northwestern during its stay in the Sunshine State.
The Terrier offense is led by Jayme Mask as she paces the team with a .370 average and 17 hits. The junior has driven in five runs on the season and is a threat on the base paths. The outfielder is 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts through 15 games.
Pitcher Whitney Tuthill leads the Terriers with four victories on the season in the circle. The 4-5 record and 3.57 ERA is best among the Boston pitching staff and the senior leads all hurlers with 10 appearances, seven games started and four complete games.
Chattanooga then takes on Quinnipiac for the first time in program history at Noon Wednesday. The Bobcats come into the matchup with a 2-12 record. Quinnipiac was winless at the Under Armour Showcase, falling to Boston, Temple, St. Joseph's, Central Michigan and SIU Edwardsville. Three of the three losses came in six innings or less.
Sophomore Nikki Barba is the Bobcats offensive leader with a .324 average at the plate and 11 hits on the season. Barba has hit two of Quinnipiac's six home runs and has driven in a team-best five RBI. The infielder has also hustled to swipe two bases on the season.
Hannah Lindsley has tossed both of the Bobcats' wins, earning a 2-3 record in six games pitched. The sophomore has started five games and has pitched in a team-high 30.2 innings. The pitcher's 3.88 ERA is a team-best as she has tallied wins over Illinois-Chicago and Drexel.
Live stats for both games are available on GoMocs.com and free play-by-play audio is available through MocsVision.