The Chattanooga Mocs softball team beat Mercer in exciting fashion 10-9 and dropped an 8-2 contest in Frost Stadium on Saturday. UTC is 25-22 and 5-6 in Southern Conference action.
"It was a great comeback in the first game, but we have to use that momentum to push forward," head coach Frank Reed stated.
In the first game, the Bears leadoff hitter Meghan Rud scored a run in the top of the first.
Freshman Amanda Beltran hit a three-run blast, giving the Mocs a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
Mercer brought in four runs each in the third and fourth innings to go up 9-3.
In the bottom of the fifth, senior Criket Blanco was batted in by freshman Jordan Fortel.
Senior Amanda Ross hit a sacrifice fly to bring Fortel home, closing the gap on the Bears 9-5.
Chattanooga had a strong sixth inning, scoring five runs. Senior Alyssa Taylor and Blanco made it home first. Then, Ross hit a double to center field, which brought in three and gave UTC the final lead.
"Amanda has been playing really well," commented Reed. "I'm excited for her, especially since she's a senior. She's making the best of it."
Sophomore Cori Jennings pitched for the first 3.2 innings and tossed four strikeouts, while Kailey Palazzolo came in for the final 3.1 frames and struck out five.
In the second game, Blanco got the Mocs offense started with her fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the first.
"We got the leadoff home run in the first inning, and we should have built off that," Reed shared. "It's frustrating, but we'll try to come back and win the series tomorrow."
Mercer didn't get on the board until Quirisa Mauga hit a three-run homer in the top of the sixth. The Bears added five runs in the seventh, including Mauga's second home run of the game, making it 8-1.
Senior Anyssa Robles knocked out her first homer of the season in the bottom of the seventh.
UTC wraps up its series with Mercer Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in Frost Stadium.
Tickets for individual games in Frost Stadium are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. UTC students are admitted free with a valid Mocs Card.
The first 200 students at Sunday's game receive a Mocs Tervis style cup, while one student will win a GoPro Hero.