posted February 19, 2008
Fresh of a strong showing at the LSU Easton Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, La., the Chattanooga Lady Mocs softball team is set to head to Jacksonville State for a 5:00 p.m. double-header on Wednesday, February 20.
After opening the season with a strong showing at home against Kentucky and Wichita State, the Lady Mocs continued their strong play in Louisiana at the LSU Easton Tiger Classic, winning their first three games by a combined score of 35-11.
The Lady Mocs defeated first-time opponents St. Johns 11-5 and Nicholls State 15-6 on February 15 before a homerun barrage and a three-hit shutout from sophomore pitcher Brooke Loudermilk gave UTC a 9-0 victory over Ball State.
In that game, senior outfielder Tara Tembey (Folsom, Calif.) belted a two-run homerun in the fourth inning while junior third baseman Toni Hutchison (Madison, Tenn.) connected for a two-run blast over the center field fence to make it 7-0. Following a pair of walks to put runners on first and second, junior outfielder Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.) powered a three-run walk-off homerun down the left field line and off the facing of a batting cage to end the game at 9-0.
Chattanooga then faced No. 7 LSU in their next game. Already 3-0 on the season, the Tigers showed why they are ranked in the top-10 as they scored in every inning and defeated the Lady Mocs 9-1. The lone run for UTC came on a blast by freshman catcher Katie Blevins (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.), who connected for her first career homerun in the second inning.
As the #2 seed, the Lady Mocs faced #3 seed Nicholls State in the semi-finals of the tournament on Sunday, Feb. 17. It was a one sided affair from the very beginning as the Colonels jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on a three-run homerun by second baseman Danielle Clayton before adding a run in the second inning.
The Lady Mocs got on the board in the bottom of the second when senior outfielder Ashlan Clarkson (Chickamauga, Ga.) laced a double down the left field line and then picked up a pair of runs in the third inning to make it 5-3. Two runs in the fourth inning and an eight-run explosion in the fifth inning then closed out the game at 15-3.
---Lady Mocs Leaders---
After the first two weekends of the season, Tara Tembey leads the team with a .444 batting average, .704 slugging percentage, 12 hits, five walks, two steals and is also tied for the team lead in runs scored with nine. She has also posted a .531 on-base percentage and is tied for second on the team with nine RBIs.
Freshman first baseman Michelle Fuzzard (Huntington Beach, Calif.) has opened her career with a number of strong performances that has left her with a team-leading 11 RBIs, a .409 batting average good for second on the team and a .636 slugging percentage. She is also tied for second with two doubles and is one of seven players with a homerun this season.
Toni Hutchison currently leads the team with three doubles and is tied for the team lead with nine runs scored while Laci Upchurch is currently batting .286 and is tied for second on the team with nine RBI.
In the circle, freshman pitcher Kandice Irwin (Knoxville, Tenn.) leads the way a 3.67 ERA, 13 strikeouts and a 2-1 record in five appearances while sophomore Brooke Loudermilk has rung up 21 batters and compiled a 1-2 record and 3.92 ERA in five games and starts. Freshman Kaitlin Holloway has been strong in five relief appearances as she has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning (10.1 IP/9 K's) on her way to a 2-0 record.
---Jacksonville State Gamecocks---
JSU has opened the 2008 campaign with a 5-5 record that includes a 14-1 win over Georgetown, a 7-1 defeat of South Alabama and a 10-1 victory over Alabama State in their last outing on February 17. The Gamecocks also picked up a 7-5, eight inning victory over South Alabama and a 9-8 victory over Southern Conference member Georgia Southern.
Among their losses are a pair of narrow defeats to Radford (3-1) and Drexel (7-6) at the Georgia Southern Invitational and a 5-4 loss to Purdue and 6-2 defeat at the hands of No. 4 Alabama at the 2008 Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Leading the way for the Gamecocks is junior catcher Allie Barker with a .429 batting average and team-leading four homeruns and 14 RBIs while sophomore outfielder Chrissy O'Neal is third on the team with a .364 average and has hit three homeruns and notched seven RBIs. Sophomore first baseman Nikki Prier leads the team with a .455 average and 15 hits to go along with a homerun and seven RBI.
The pitching staff is led by junior Melissa Dowling and freshman Ashley Eliasson who have combined to go 2-4. Dowling leads the team with a 3.59 ERA and is 2-3 in 37 innings with 21 strikeouts while Eliasson is 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. In two appearances this season, junior Kayla Collins has posted 10 strikeouts in nine innings.
---All-Time Series---
The Lady Mocs currently hold a 24-11 all-time record against Jacksonville State dating back to the two teams first meeting on March 22, 1994. The Lady Mocs have outscored the Gamecocks by a combined score of 128-76 over that time but have split the last two meetings. A year ago, UTC claimed a 5-2 victory in Game 1 before JSU notched a 2-1 victory in the night cap on April 4. Chattanooga last swept Jacksonville State in 2005, claiming 4-1 and 3-0 wins on March 15 of that year.
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