The Chattanooga Steam started off hot in its final game of the Coca-Cola Scenic City Pro Cup after a leadoff double by TJ Webster and a two-out RBI single From Kaylee Tow. That was all that came across as starting pitcher for the Vibe Jordan Johnson got a strikeout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the first, Shelby Walters took the mound for the Steam, working a clean inning after a double play erased an early error. A solo shot by Taylor Sanders put the Steam up 2-0 in the second.
The bottom of the second began with a walk and single for the Vibe, resulting in Walters giving way to Morgan Smith in the circle, who came in and shut the door on the Vibe. Johnson worked around a leadoff single by Webster in the third to keep the score 2-0. Smith proved settled on the mound, facing the minimum in the third.
Nothing across for the Steam in the fourth, despite two free passes to Sanders and Cummins. The Vibe found their bats in the fourth, putting up a three-spot and taking the lead off of a leadoff walk and three hits from Frazier, Radcliffe, and Praprota. Elizabeth Hightower came into pitch for the Vibe in the top of the fifth and rolled two ground balls, one for a double play, to eliminate a leadoff walk and keep the Steam off the board.
After two singles from Canetto and Newland gave the Vibe runners on the corners with one out, Brooke Yanez came on in relief for Smith, getting two groundouts to strand the runners in the fifth. Although they threatened in the sixth with two on and one out, the Vibe turned a double play to end the threat. The Vibe added a few insurance runs off a solo shot by Kennedy and a two-RBI double from Canetto. The Chattanooga Steam had some ground to make up in the first game of the day in the Coca-Cola Scenic City Pro Cup, trailing by four to the Florida Vibe leading into the seventh inning, but could not close the distance as Hightower faced the minimum in the last inning to earn the save.
The Steam finished the week going 1-3 in their debut in the Coca-Cola Scenic City Pro Cup in Chattanooga. They continue their season next week in Chattanooga at Frost Stadium.
In the final game of the Coca-Cola Scenic City Pro Cup, the undefeated Oklahoma City Spark took on the New York Rise Saturday night at Frost Stadium.
Donnie Gobourne got the start on the mound for the Spark, facing the minimum in the top of the first. For the Rise, Wyche started the game and faced three batters before being relieved by Mariah Lopez, who recorded the final out of the first. In the second, Gobourne worked around a leadoff double by Alex Honnold and a single by Linnie Malkin, coming up with two clutch strikeouts to end the inning. Lopez commanded control in the top of second, allowing no base runners. The bottom of the third saw the first runs come across via a two-run blast from Rise's Makena Smith. Unfortunately, the Spark could not respond as Lopez continued her outstanding performance in the circle. Gobourne faced one batter in the fourth before giving way to Keely Rochard, who lasted less than an inning as the Rise’s bats came alive and exploded for five runs off four hits.
Highlights from the bottom of the fourth included McCray and Trierweiler RBI singles as well as Makena Smith’s second home run of the night, this one a three-shot, bringing the lead to 7-0. The Spark brought in Fiser to record the final out of the fourth. The Spark were finally able to manufacture a run in the top of the fifth right after Lopez gave up two walks, and Malua’ulu came up with an RBI single to center field, scoring Jayda Coleman. Wyche would reenter to pitch and get the final out of the fifth on an infield groundout. The top of the sixth began with an error that put the leadoff batter, Trierweiuler, on second who subsequently scored after crafty baserunning. Wyche pitched a clean bottom of the sixth to bring the Spark down to their last three outs of the game. The Rise proved they were not done as Malkin led off the seventh with a solo shot to center, bringing the score to 9-1 in favor of the Rise, but that was all as Fiser sat down the next three Rise hitters. With their final chance, the Spark sent Kinzie Hansen to the plate, who reached on a dropped third strike but was ultimately stranded as Wyche induced a fly out, ground out, and strike out to end the game.
The New York Rise end the week as champions of the Coca-Cola Scenic City Pro Cup, defeating the Spark 9-1 at Frost Stadium.