Chattanooga softball fell 14-6 to UNC Greensboro in the final game of the three-game Southern Conference opening series Sunday afternoon at Frost Stadium.
Chattanooga moves to 21-9 overall and 2-1 in SoCon play after winning the series. UNCG is 23-9 on the year and 1-2 in league play.
Olivia Lipari went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs on a home run in the fifth. Camryn Cernuto was 2-for-4 and scored two runs. After falling behind 8-2, the Mocs put together a four-run fifth to pull to within two runs, but the Spartans struck back in the top of the seventh, adding six runs to secure the win.
The Spartans got the scoring started early with three runs in the first.
With one out, UNCG loaded the bases with a single, double and a walk and drove in a pair of runs on a single to right center leaving a runner at third. Peja Goold got her second strikeout of the inning, but a passed ball scored the runner from third for a 3-0 lead through half an inning.
The Mocs got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Kailey Snell reached on a single to left field and stole second. Olivia Lipari hit to third, but the throw to first was wide, scoring Snell and putting Lipari on second.
UNCG added four more in the third on a solo shot and a three-run blast to center field to make it a 7-1 game.
Camryn Cernuto led off the third with a single and reached third on a single by Lipari. She raced home on a bloop hit into shallow left by Acelynn Sellers to make it a 7-1 game.
UNCG added a run in the fourth and the Mocs put up four in the bottom of the fifth. Cernuto, once again, led off the inning with a single. She stole second and was sent home on a two-run shot over the right field fence by Lipari to cut the Spartan lead in half at 8-4.
An error, a single and a walk loaded the bases for the Mocs. Abi Bunt came in to pinch hit for Zoe Wright and drove in a run on a hit by pitch. Mia Leone pinch hit for Kailey Snell and another run scored with a second straight hit by pitch to pull Chattanooga to within two runs at 8-6.
UNCG added six runs in the top of the seventh to stretch the lead to 14-6 on a single, double and two home runs.
Chattanooga used all four pitchers in the game. Goold got the start, struck out four, but left in the third inning with the loss.
Chattanooga will travel to Tennessee Tech for a non-conference game Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time in Cookeville, Tenn., before returning to SoCon action on the road at Mercer for a three-game series.