Photo Courtesy of Jeff Hurndon

Courtesy: GoMocs.com

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2008 Southern Conference Softball

No. 1 Chattanooga vs. No. 7 Appalachian State Box Score

Mt. PLEASANT, S.C. - Sophomore Brooke Loudermilk (Locust Grove, Ga.) and freshman Kaitlin Holloway (Chickamauga, Ga.) combined to pitch a four-hitter and the Lady Mocs offense pounded out 11 hits, three doubles and two home runs as Chattanooga (36-20, 13-5) downed Appalachian State (11-36) 9-2 in an elimination game at the 2008 Southern Conference Tournament in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina on Friday

The Lady Mocs wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard in the first inning as a walk by freshman outfielder Lauren Flores (Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.), single by freshman first baseman Michelle Fuzzard (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and a throwing error put runners on the corners with one out. Junior third baseman Toni Hutchison (Madison, Tenn.) then lifted a long fly ball to centerfield to score Flores from third and put Chattanooga ahead 1-0.

A one-out walk and successful sacrifice bunt in the second inning set the stage for another UTC run when sophomore catcher Brittany Eason (Chattanooga, Tenn.) looped a single to centerfield to push the lead to 2-0.

After a scoreless third inning, the Lady Mocs were right back at it, notching a third run in the fourth with an Eason double down the left field line and a line drive home run by Hutchison to the same spot in the fifth to make it 4-0.

Loudermilk was dominant in the circle, carrying a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth inning before allowing a single to left center by Ashley Gaston with a runner on first. A fielder’s choice, sac bunt and strikeout over the next three batters ended that threat.

In the sixth inning, Chattanooga continued the offensive assault as they scored three more runs on two hits, a walk and a hit by pitch. Hutchison added another RBI on a ground out while junior outfielder Laci Upchurch (Madison, Tenn.) ripped a double to left center to score two more runs.

UTC added another two runs in the seventh to make it 9-0 when senior shortstop Tara Tembey (Folsom, Calif.) belted a two-run home run, her fifth of the season, over the right centerfield wall.

The Mountaineers rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, one coming on a home run by first baseman Stephanie Long, to close to within 9-2 but would get no closer as Kaitlin Holloway slammed the door on the game, and ASU’s season, when she got freshman catcher Katie Boyd to pop to shortstop.

Loudermilk went five innings, striking out seven and allowing only one hit and one walk, to collect her 15^th win of the season (15-7) while Kayla Robertson took the loss for Appalachian State to end the season at 7-19.

At the plate, Tembey led the way with a 3-for-5 performance that included two runs and two RBIs while Hutchison went 1-for-3 with three RBIs and her sixth home run of the year. Eason finished the day 2-for-2 with two RBIs, both season highs and redshirt-freshman second baseman Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.) went 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.

Sophomore catcher Lynleigh Hurndon (McDonough, Ga.) added a 1-for-2 day with two runs scored. Upchurch rounded out the offense with a two-RBI double.

Chattanooga continues play today when they take on the winner of the game between No. 4 Elon and No. 3 College of Charleston at 5:45 p.m.

NOTES

With their first inning score, the Lady Mocs snapped a string of 12 consecutive games in which they had not notched a run in the opening frame, dating back to April 12 vs. Elon