Softball Drops Doubleheader to Chattanooga
4/6/2013 10:24:06 PM | Softball
GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. – Chattanooga swept the opening two games of a three-game set between the Eagles and Mocs on Saturday afternoon in the Scenic City. Chattanooga withstood a seventh inning Eagle rally to win 6-5 in the opener. In game two, UTC shutout GSU 3-0. Georgia Southern will look to avoid the series sweep on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the series finale.
– GAME ONE –
Chattanooga took game one of the series by a 6-5 margin by scoring a single run in each of their six trips to the plate. Four of the runs were counted as earned as three Eagle errors hurt the cause.
Kourtny Thomas got the game started with a two-run home run in the first inning. She hit the one-out job off a 3-2 count for her ninth home run of the season.
Chattanooga’s offense, however, responded with six-straight runs over the next six innings. Sarah Purvis gave up a run in both the first and second innings before being pulled for Brooke Red in the second inning with no outs. Red went an inning and a third before she was injured by a line drive in the third. Marla Thompson came on and struck out four in her three and two-thirds innings of work.
Down 6-2 in the top of the seventh, Georgia Southern mounted a rally to put a scare in the Chattanooga faithful. Shelby Morrill opened the frame with a solo home run to cut the lead to three. A walk and a single brought the tying run to the plate as Chattanooga went to the bullpen for Taylor Deason.
A throwing error by the Chattanooga shortstop on a ball up the middle allowed Tabby Douberley to score, while a throwing error by the Chattanooga catcher moments later allowed Andrea Tarashuk to score and bring the score to 6-5 with the tying run standing on second base. Chattanooga dismissed the next three batters in order on strikes to nail down the win in the series opener.
– GAME TWO –
In game two, Chattanooga took a 3-0 win to take the doubleheader sweep in a pair of complete game performances by Allie Miles and Taylor Deason in the circle. Miles allowed three runs, one earned while scattering six hits and striking out six batters. Deason held the Eagles to four hits and no runs while striking out six batters.
The Mocs scored one run in the frist when Kasey Tydinco’s single pushed Sara Poteat in for the opening run with one out in the inning. UTC added two more unearned runs in the third inning as a passed ball after a strikeout on Poteat extended the inning for Chattanooga.
The Eagles tallied more extra base hits in the doubleheader than Chattanooga. Tarashuk’s double in game one moved her into a tie for eighth place on the GSU career doubles list, matching Megen Smith’s 2008-11 total of 34 career doubles.
The teams close the series on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. with a single game at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga.
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