Junior pitcher Brooke Parrott fired a complete game, two-hit shutout while senior Hayleigh Weissenbach recorded a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to help lead the Chattanooga Mocs softball team to a thrilling 1-0 win over SEC-member Auburn on Wednesday afternoon inside Jim Frost Stadium.
Following the win, Chattanooga improves to 10-21 overall. Auburn falls to 25-14 on the season. It marks the first win over an SEC program for the Mocs since a 6-4 win over Auburn back on February 17, 2013.
Auburn entered the day with an national RPI ranking of 11 and was the top vote receiver in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches and ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.
Chattanooga 1, (RV) Auburn 0
Making her 14th start of the season in the circle, Brooke Parrott came out firing and needed just 10 pitches to set the Tigers down in order to begin the game. She would hold the opposition hitless over the first 2.0 innings and surrendered just a bunt single over her first 5.1 innings of work.
The Chattanooga offense was effective early and often, but failed to find the timely hit to drive runners in. UTC stranded a combined six runners through the first four innings at the plate. In the bottom of the third, the Mocs left the bases loaded in after a fly out followed back-to-back singles from Emily Coltharp and Courtney Ball and a walk drawn by Hayleigh Weissenbach.
Gracey Kruse led off the home half of the fourth with her team-leading ninth double of the season, blistering one down the left field line. Kruse was left stranded at third after a pair of groundouts and a fly out as the game remained scoreless heading into the fifth.
After Auburn was retired in order in the top half, UTC landed a runner in scoring position with two outs after Ball singled with one out and advanced to second on an Adison Keylon sacrifice bunt. Weissenbach delivered with the eventual game-winning RBI single through the right side, allowing Ball to beat the tag at the plate and put UTC ahead 1-0. (WATCH)
After stranding a pair of runners to end the sixth, Parrott recorded the first two outs of the final frame in just eight pitches before hitting a batter. The tying run attempted to steal second on the next pitch and was thrown out by catcher Cameren Swafford, clinching the 1-0 win. (WATCH)
Parrott (4-6) earned her second complete-game shutout of the season after allowing only two hits, a walk and two hit batters. Chattanooga's offense featured six hits, led by a multi-hit performance from Ball (2-for-2, R) and a clutch day from Weissenbach (1-for-2, RBI).
Chattanooga (10-21, 5-6 SoCon) gears up for a crucial three-game Southern Conference series in Greenville, S.C, this weekend against Furman. Saturday's game has been pushed back to 6:00 p.m. ET due to forecasted inclement weather. Sunday will now feature a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. Game coverage links will be available on the schedule page.