Chattanooga softball took both games Saturday over Furman to move into sole possession of first place. The Mocs beat Furman 6-1 in the opener and 3-0 in the second game.
Camryn Cernuto went 5-for-7 with two RBI and two runs scored. Kaili Phillips went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs in the second game and a sac bunt. Kendall Forsythe drove in a pair of runs on two hits and Baileigh Pitts had two RBI with a walk and sac fly.
Alyssa Lavdis earned her ninth win of the season and her first shutout in the second game while Peja Goold picked up her sixth win with eight strikeouts.
Chattanooga improves to 33-13 overall and take over first at 12-5.
Furman falls to 21-28 on the year and 6-11 in SoCon play. The two will meet at 2:00 p.m. Sunday to close out the series.
GAME ONE (6-1)
A sac fly to center field drove in Furman’s lone run of the day, but gave the Paladins a 1-0 lead in the third inning.
The Mocs opened up its offense in the fifth with five runs and added one more in the sixth to grab the win.
With one out in the inning, Acelynn Sellers took first after getting hit by a pitch. Kailey Snell moved her over to second with a single through the left side. Camryn Cernuto’s single hit off the third baseman’s glove as well as the short stop and ended up in left field. Sellers rounded third and scored the Mocs first run of the game.
Olivia Lipari drew the walk to load the bases and Baleigh Pitts was hit by a pitch to send Snell home and gave UTC a 2-1 lead. Abby Orr came in to run for Pitts and would later score. Chattanooga picked up run number three on a passed ball, plating Cernuto.
Senior Kendall Forsythe singled up the middle with two runners in scoring position and drove both home to make it 5-1 in the Mocs favor.
In the sixth, Snell doubled with two outs and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cernuto singled to the pitcher and beat out the throw to first as Snell scored, giving UTC a 6-1 advantage.
Peja Goold struck out the side in the top of the seventh to get the win. She picked up her sixth win of the season and struck out eight. Cernuto was 3-for-4 with two RBI and Forsythe was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
Furman had five hits, all singles and drew two walks while using two pitchers.
GAME TWO (3-0)
Two home runs and a sac fly was all Chattanooga needed to pick up the second win Saturday.
Kaili Phillips recorded her second two-home run game of the season and Baileigh Pitts reentered the game to drive in the Mocs third run for the win.
Phillips took a 2-2 count over the fence in center field to put Chattanooga on the board in the second.
It was a pitchers duel over the next few innings with Alyssa Lavdis retiring the side in the third, fourth and fifth. Furman sat down the side in the third and fourth, but Phillips led off the fifth with a home run to right center and the Mocs led 2-0.
In the sixth, Cernuto reached on a single to short with one out. Lipari doubled to the fence in left center and Cernuto stopped at third. Pitts reentered the game and hit a long sac fly to right field, scoring Cernuto to make it 3-0.
Furman went three-up, three-down in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the win for Lavdis.
Lavdis improved to 9-5 overall, struck out four and did not give up a free pass. She earned her first shutout of the season and her fifth complete game. Phillips was 2-for-2 with two home runs and Cernuto went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
Chattanooga and Furman close out the series Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The Mocs are on the hunt for their third SoCon series sweep of the season.
UTC owns a one-game lead in the league standings at 12-5. Mercer fell to UNCG in both games Saturday to fall out of first and into a tie with Samford for third at 10-7. The Spartans improved to 11-6 and just one game behind Chattanooga.