The Chattanooga Mocs softball team out-hit the opposition in both occasions, but left 17 runners on base in two 5-1 defeats to Morgan State and Liberty as part of the NTC Tournament.
GAME 1 | Morgan State 5, Chattanooga 1
Morgan State scored the first run of the game in the top of the first on a throwing error from catcher Amanda Beltran (Orange County, Calif.) on an attempted steal at third base. The Bears would carry the 1-0 lead into the third.
The top of the third from MSU was started by a double to right field and later advanced that runner to third on a bunt back to the pitcher.
The runner at third scored on a throwing error from pitcher Payten Price (Cookville, Tenn.). After a fielders choice, the Bears three-hitter belted a two-run homerun over the left field fence to push the lead to 4-0.
Chattanooga threatened in the bottom half of the fifth, loading the bases on a pair of Morgan State fielding errors and an Aly Walker (Medina, Tenn.) single through the left side. A strike out, sacrifice fly and a foul-out in consecutive order only pushed one run across to cut the deficit to 4-1. The Bears added a run in the top of the sixth on a wild pitch to extend the lead 5-1.
Freshman Payten Price (0-1) threw all 7.0 innings and took the loss for the Mocs in her collegiate debut, allowing five runs (four earned) and two walks while striking out nine batters. Amy Lewis (Spring City, Tenn.) also made her collegiate debut, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two singles. Jesslyn Stockard (Ringgold, Ga.) picked up the lone RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field. Beltran, J.J. Hamill (Chickamauga, Ga.), Ashley Conner (Dalton, Ga.) (2) and Walker picked up the remaining hits for UTC.
GAME 2 | Liberty 5, Chattanooga 1
Freshman pitcher Alex Connell (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) started game two for the Mocs in her collegiate debut, tossing 3.1 innings before allowing a Liberty run to score. The Flames scored in the bottom of the fourth after a pair of walks and a fielder's choice led to a run crossing the plate, giving Liberty a 1-0 lead.
LU used a two-out rally in the fifth to score a run after a double, followed by a single, pushing the run across, extending the Flames lead to 2-0.
Chattanooga loaded the bases in the top of the sixth with no one out after a pitching change from Liberty. The Mocs didn't take advantage of the opportunity as a strikeout, a fielder's choice at the plate and a pop out to the catcher in foul ground didn't put any runs on the board.
The bottom half of the sixth started with a walk and base hit through the left side for the Flames, forcing a pitching change from Connell to Maddy Adams (Hobart, Ind.), also her debut, with two one and no outs. Liberty went on score three runs on two hits and three walks in the inning extending the lead to 5-0.
Conner continued her hot day with a homerun deep over the left field fence to lead off the final inning, putting the Mocs on the board 5-1.
Connell (0-1) received the loss in the circle after tossing 5.0 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs. Walker and Conner both went 2-for-3 at the plate with Conner picking up the lone RBI.
Chattanooga returns to action tomorrow against a duplicate doubleheader of Morgan State and Liberty at the same times of 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. You can follow along with the live stats underneath the softball schedule tab.