PLANT CITY, Fla. — Second-seeded Chattanooga State defeated South Georgia 8-0 in six innings and later downed Butler Community College of Kansas 3-1 in the first day of the NJCAA Division I fastpitch softball national tournament Thursday.

Courtney Alvarez (25-2) pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts in the Lady Tigers’ opener, when Casey Saunders was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, Amber Janus was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs and Meagan Masingale was 2-for-4 and also scored twice. Meagan Qualls was 1-for-1, was hit by a pitch and walked twice, and she batted in one run and scored another, and Megann Sallinger had two RBIs with the game-ending hit.

Qualls led off the second inning with a single, and her twin Morgan added a bunt single. But Sallinger forced Meagan Qualls out at third and a strikeout threatened to keep the game scoreless, but Britni Pearce bunted for a hit and Morgan Qualls scored from second as South Georgia tried to get Pearce at first and bobbled the ball. Sallinger took third on the play and scored on a Janus single.

The Lady Tigers added two runs in the fourth inning and four in the sixth.

In the night game, Brittany Fox (29-4) pitched a three-hitter, giving up a home run after her team lead 2-0. Kaiti Kelley had a one-out walk in the first inning and set up an error on Saunders’ grounder; Kelley backed up before being tagged, and the throw to first was rushed and thrown away. Saunders went to second and scored on Meagan Qualls’ single to right field.

In the third, Masingale singled with one out, took third when the first baseman made an error on a Kelley grounder to shortstop and scored on Saunders’ single to right. Saunders led off the sixth with a single and pinch runner Jessica Duncan scored on Morgan Qualls’ singled up the middle after a Meagan Qualls sacrifice.

The Lady Tigers (58-7) play Iowa Western at 1 p.m. today and will have another game regardless of that outcome.

“Our (relaxed) approach has paid off so far,” Chattanooga State coach Beth Keylon-Randolph said. “The kids are comfortable and not stressing, and they’re making things happened. And we’ve had some phenomenal defensive plays at shortstop by Amber Janus.

“We’ll try to keep in going tomorrow.”