The first eight innings were scoreless in the first round of the Southern Conference Softball Championship between No.3 Chattanooga and No. 6 Western Carolina on Wednesday afternoon at the UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.
After both teams scored in the ninth, the game entered the 10th inning tied at one. The Catamounts scored one in the top half with a two-out single. After Gracey Kruse drove in the tying run in the bottom of the 10th, Emily Coltharp came through with Kruse on third as the All-SoCon infielder singled for her second wall-off hit of the season.
Chattanooga improved to 26-25 and will move on in the winners bracket to face No.
2 Samford at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Western Carolina dropped to 18-33 and will face No. 7 ETSU in an elimination game.
After the two teams combined for 45 runs in a three-game series last weekend, there was not much offense for either squad through the first five innings. After five, it was scoreless and the two teams combined for just four hits, three of them were from the Chattanooga offense.
Both teams were able to get a runner to third in the seventh, but a stellar play by Acelynn Sellers at first ended the threat in the top half and Western Carolina got out of the jam in the bottom of the seventh.
Neither team was able to get into the run column until the ninth. In the top of the ninth, with two outs, Western Carolina took the first lead of the game as Savannah Rice doubled to left center. In the bottom half, Reagan Armour began the inning with a double to left field. On the next pitch, Acelynn Sellers tied the game with a single to right. After nine, the game went into the 10th tied at one.
In the top of the 10th, the Catamounts retook the lead with another two-out base hit. Parrott limited the damage, ending the threat with two in scoring position.
In the bottom half, Kruse delivered. She took the 12th pitch of the first at-bat of the inning to the left center gap, driving in Bailey Myers from second. After Adison Keylon moved Kruse over to third with a sac bunt, Coltharp delivered. She logged her third hit of game, sending Chattanooga home victorious.
Parrott pitched all 10 innings and threw just 119 pitches. She allowed one earned run on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts en route to her 12th win of the season.
Western Carolina’s Rice also went the distance. She picked up the loss, allowing three runs, two earned on 10 hits with five K’s and no walks.
Armour went 3-for-4 at the dish with a run scored. Coltharp logged her fifth three-hit game of the season.