It took a couple extra innings for Chattanooga to get past UNCG in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader at UNCG Softball Stadium. The Mocs beat the Spartans 6-3 in the first game and completed the two-game sweep with a 6-5 win in nine innings in the second.
The Mocs hit .308 Saturday. Baileigh Pitts was 4-for-4 in Game One and one shy of the cycle with a double, home run and two singles. She hit .625 for the day with five hits, five RBI and slugged 1.125.
Addy Keylon was 3-for-5 in Game Two, belting a pair of home runs including the game winner in the top of the ninth.
Peja Goold earned both wins and Alyssa Lavdis recorded her second save of the season.
Chattanooga improves to 28-10 on the year and moves into sole possession of first place with a 9-2 mark against the Southern Conference.
GAME 1 | Chattanooga 6, UNCG 3. After falling behind 2-0, the Mocs rallied in the third to take a 3-2 lead over the Spartans and never trailed again.
Baileigh Pitts went 4-for-4 in the game with four RBI. She doubled in the Mocs second run in the third, hit a solo homer in the fifth and had a two-run single to center in the sixth.
Peja Goold picked up her third win of the year, striking out four in 4.1 innings of work. Alyssa Lavdis started the game, pitching two innings before giving way to Goold. She returned in the seventh with bases loaded and one out on a 6-3 lead. She struck out the last two batters and earned her second save of the season.
Chattanooga got its offense going in the third. UTC scored three runs in the inning to take the lead over the Spartans. With one out, Kailey Snell doubled to left field and advanced to third on a single up the middle by Camryn Cernuto. Olivia Lipari got the RBI with a single to left field and Baileigh Pitts had the Mocs fourth straight hit sending Cernuto home to tie it up 2-2.
Kendall Forsythe drove in the go ahead run on a sac fly to right field, putting UTC up 3-2 in the third.
The teams matched for runs in the fifth. UTC scored on a solo home run off the bat of Baileigh Pitts, her third hit of the game. In the bottom of the inning, the Spartans drove in a run on a single to right field, scoring the runner from second to make it 4-3.
Chattanooga added two more in the sixth and held UNCG scoreless the rest of the way. Acelynn Sellers reached on a hit by pitch and Cernuto walked to put runners at first and second with two outs. Lipari singled to short loading the bases and Pitts drove a hard single to center to plate two runs, putting UTC up 6-3.
After putting one UNCG runner on, the Mocs got the next three out to end the sixth. UTC got a runner to third with one out in the seventh, but couldn’t get the run across. The Spartans loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh on two walks and one hit by pitch. Lavdis entered with one out and sat down the final two batters to pick up the save.
Pitts was a triple shy of the cycle and reached on every plate appearance. Lavdis and Goold each struck out four batters. UTC had six runs on eight hits and no errors. UNCG scored three runs on six hits in the game.
GAME 2 | Chattanooga 6, UNCG 5 / 9 innings Addy Keylon hammered two home runs, including the game winner in the ninth, to lead the Mocs to a 6-5, nine-inning win over UNCG in the second game Saturday.
She put the Mocs on the board first with a solo shot to center field in the second on a 2-1 count. UTC added a second run in the third. Kailey Snell reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and advanced to second. She was moved over to third on a sac bunt by Camryn Cernuto. She scored on a liner by Olivia Lipari down the right field line to put the Mocs up 2-0.
UNCG cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth. With runners on the corners and one out, the Spartans scored on a fielder’s choice to second. Two runners were stranded to end the inning on a infield popup.
The fifth inning saw the Mocs push the lead to 5-1 with three runs on three hits. Cernuto led off with a single to left field. Lipari sacrificed Cernuto over to second but both runners were safe as UNCG went for Cernuto and both beat out the throws. The Spartans were caught napping and Cernuto took third.
Baileigh Pitts’ sac fly to center field plated Cernuto for UTC’s third run of the game. Lipari took second on a passed ball and Kendall Forsythe walked. Kaili Phillips singled to center field to load the bases. Keylon picked up her second RBI with a single to right field, scoring Lipari.
With the bases still loaded and two outs, Acelynn Sellers drew a walk and sent pinch runner Abby Orr home to make it a 5-1 game. Chattanooga sent nine batters to the plate in the inning.
Greensboro started the bottom of the inning striking out on a wild pitch and reached first safely. The next batter struck out but a second wild pitch put the runner on second. A walk and single loaded the bases. A passed ball scored the runner from third and move both runners into scoring position. The Spartans made it a 5-3 game on a sac fly before a groundout ended the inning.
Chattanooga loaded the bases in the sixth but was unable to add to its lead.
UNCG hit a pair of home runs in the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings. The Spartans led off with a pinch hit home run to left field. Goold struck out the next two batters, but UNCG tied the game 5-5 on a 3-2 home run to left center. The next batter hit a triple but was stranded on a lineout to left to end the inning.
Both teams went three up, three down in the eighth.
Keylon’s second homer came in the top of the ninth. She swung and missed the first pitch then fouled off the second. She was patient with the next two and evened the count at 2-2. The next pitch cleared the fence in right center to make it a 6-5 game.
The Spartans opened the bottom of the inning with a foul out before a pinch hit double to left field threatened the Mocs lead. A wild pitch put the runner at third with one out. The next at bat was lined to Kailey Snell at short, holding the runner. The final out was a flyout to center field, ending the game.
Chattanooga and UNCG will conclude the series Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Follow all the action online at GoMocs.com. Links for live streaming on ESPN+ and live stats are available on the softball schedule page at GoMocs.com.