The Chattanooga Mocs softball team is set to host in-state rival Middle Tennessee Friday and Saturday at Frost Stadium in a non-conference two-game set. The Good Friday game is set to begin 5 p.m. with Saturday’s finale starting at Noon.
Chattanooga is currently 24-17 with a 9-5 Southern Conference mark – just 2.5 games back of SoCon leading Georgia Southern – while Middle Tennessee is 7-37 with a 2-15 Conference USA record. All-time, Chattanooga holds a 15-2 advantage against the Blue Raiders. Their last matchup came in 2008 as the Mocs defeated MTSU 7-2.
Sophomore Anyssa Robles (Lawrenceville, Ga.) continues to impress at the plate for the Mocs. The starting catcher is batting .357 and leads the team with 41 hits and 27 RBI. Robles has hit safely in her last five games, including a 2-for-3 performance Sunday in Birmingham, Ala., against Samford.
Another hot bat in the lineup as of recently has been that of junior Sarah Beth Roberts (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.). The third baseman’s last 15 games have seen her sit safely in 13, including seven multi-hit contests since March 20. The junior now trails Robles in the hit column by just one base-knock and is batting .320 in 41 games played.
While the offense continues to heat up, the pitch continues to say consistent in shutting down opposing lineups. Workhorses Taylor Deason (Clarksville, Tenn.) and Katie Henderson (Hixson,Tenn.) have combined for 23 wins and both maintain below a 2.00 ERA. Both hurlers sport two shutouts each while holding opposing bats to under a .230 average. Deason has converted four saves while Henderson has two.
The Middle Tennessee lineup contains two +.300 batters in junior Laura Dukes (.387) and senior Kayla Toney (.327). Toney leads the Blue Raiders with 30 RBI while Dukes has driven in 25 runners on the season. Sophomore LaRi Mitchell is batting just below the .300 mark at .298 with 42 hits in 42 games played. Mitchell poses a threat on the base paths for the Mocs as the outfielder has swiped 22 stolen bases in 26 attempts.
The pitching trio of Jordyn Fisherback, Shelby Stinnett and Caitlin McClure account for the Raiders’ seven wins. Fisherback leads the ‘pen with three wins and a 4.62 ERA. Fisherback has also tossed four complete games, tied with Stinnett’s complete-game total. Stinnett, while starting 14 games, has also tallied the team’s only two saves.
Live stats are available for free on GoMocs.com while live video of the games is offered through MocsVision via subscription. Click the links to follow the game live, or buy your tickets here.