Chattanooga outlasted Mercer Thursday in the first game of Day Two of the Southern Conference Tournament, winning 8-7 in extra innings on a walk-off single.
Olivia Lipari was hit to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Acelynn Sellers, already with a SoCon Tournament tying record three home runs, laid down a bunt that was placed perfectly between first and the circle and both runners were safe. Baileigh Pitts laced a shot into right field to load the bases with no outs.
Jayce Pudy took a 1-2 pitch down the line in right, driving in Lipari for the game winner.
Chattanooga led 7-0 after five innings, but the Mercer bats awoke to tie the game and force extras.
Kailey Snell led off the first with a single into left and advanced to second on a sac bunt.
With two outs, Sellers put the Mocs up 2-0 with the first of three two-run homers for the Rocky Face, Ga., senior.
The third started off with another single from Snell through the left side. Camryn Cernuto again bunted her over to second and she reached third on a fly out to right from Lipari. Sellers home run hit off the Wofford scoreboard and put UTC up 4-0.
The Mocs added a fifth run in the fourth. Lexi Cooley singled up the middle followed by a single from Zoe Wright. Snell singled to center field, scoring Cooley to make it 5-0.
Sellers completed the hat trick in the seventh. Lipari led off the inning with a single. Sellers third home run of the game, tying Reagan Armour ’22 for the SoCon Tournament record, was to center for a 7-0 Chattanooga advantage.
In the sixth, Mercer scored four runs. A bases loaded single scored the first. Two more singles and a ground out drove in three more to make it 7-4.
Chattanooga had runners at the corners with nobody out and Wright stole second. However, the Bears would get the next three out to end the Mocs threat.
Mercer loaded the bases on three walks and a single scored the fifth run. The next came on a bases loaded walk and a play at the plate that went wide allowed the tying run to score.
A runner was left stranded for the Mocs in the seventh and the game went on to extra innings.
A walk put the first runner on for Mercer. A sac bunt, however didn’t fall as Purdy picked up the ball at the plate, firing down to second for the out. She then got the second out on a caught stealing and the final out came on a pop up to Snell at short.
Snell doubled with two outs in the eighth but was left stranded and Mercer went three-up, three-down in the top of the ninth.
Purdy’s rope down the right field line was close enough for a review, but it held up and the Mocs grabbed the win that took three hours and 13 minutes.
Chattanooga advances to take on No. 2 UNC Greensboro or No. 3 Samford Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. at Hope Field.
Links for live stats and video streaming can be found online at GoMocs.com on the softball schedule page.