Chattanooga gave up four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning at UNCG, falling 5-4 to the Spartans in Southern Conference softball action. The Mocs are 28-11 overall and 9-3 in SoCon action while UNCG moves to 25-19 on the year and 7-5 against the league.
The Mocs scored four runs on eight hits. Kaili Phillips was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Camryn Cernuto was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk. Baileigh Pitts drove in two runs on a hit. Peja Goold went six innings , striking out six and had four earned runs.
In the third, with one out, Kailey Snell doubled to center field and Cernuto beat out the throw to first by the short stop to put runners at first and second.
An error at second put Olivia Lipari on and drove in the Mocs first run with Snell scoring. Cernuto scored on the next at bat when Pitts grounded out to third and UTC led 2-0.
UNCG cut the lead in half with a two-out single to left center in the bottom of the inning but stranded two.
Phillips led off the top of the fourth with a solo shot, her team-leading ninth of the year, and Chattanooga upped its lead to 3-1.
Pitts drove in her second run of the game with a single up the middle sending Cernuto across the plate to make it a 4-1 game in favor of the Mocs.
The Spartans struck back in the bottom of the fifth and took its first lead of the weekend.
Chattanooga got the first two batters out to get the inning started. However, a single and two walks later, UNCG had the bases loaded. The next batter was hit to make it a 4-2 game still in UTC’s favor. A pitching change gave up a pair of singles and three runs and the Spartans took a 5-4 lead. Goold reentered. A walk loaded the bases before a grounder back to the pitcher ended the inning.
The Spartans used two pitchers, got five strikeouts, walked three and allowed four earned runs. Brooklyn Maxwell was 2-for-4 and Betsy Eatmon in two runs on one hit.
Chattanooga hits the road for a midweek game at Lipscomb on Wednesday, April 17 at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The Mocs return home next weekend for a battle of the top two teams in the league when Mercer comes to town. Saturday’s double header begins at 1:00 p.m. and will conclude with a 2:00 p.m. start on Sunday.
Tickets are on sale online at GoMocs.com or at the Frost Stadium ticket booth one hour prior to first pitch.