UTC softball wraps sweep over UNCG

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team finished off a 3-game sweep over UNC Greensboro on Sunday with an 8-0 win in five innings.

The Lady Mocs (29-9, 11-0 SoCon) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first and rolled to a relatively easy win with six runs in the final two innings to end the game early.

“I felt like we were going to break it open, but I just didn’t know when,” UTC coach Frank Reed said. “I think they did a great job.”

Michelle Fuzzard started the game and earned the win, allowing one hit over three innings to improve her record to 14-5 on the season. Fuzzard also gave the offense a boost with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to help break the game open for UTC.

“it’s awesome to sweep a team and sweep everybody [in conference] so far,” she said. “But still we try and worry about yourself and play yourself. Because if we get beat it’s going to be because we beat ourselves.”

After Fuzzard’s blast increased UTC’s lead to 5-0, the Lady Mocs put the game out of reach in the fifth on RBI hits by Vivian Morimoto and Jessica Traxler before senior left fielder Lauren Flores scored the final run on a bases-loaded wild pitch with Fuzzard at the plate to end the game by run rule.

“Coach Reed is always saying ‘Look for a wild pitch’ ... and he’s always reminding you,” Flores said. “When [Fuzzard] hit her home run [In the fourth inning], I was standing on third then, too. So I was expecting either a wild pitch or a home run.”

Flores finished 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored, and Della Harrison and Sara Poteat each had a hit in the victory. Senior center fielder Lyndsey Stiles scored twice and had two stolen bases.

Senior Nikki Waters pitched the final two innings to seal the victory, allowing a hit and striking out one.

UTC will now hit the road for the next two weekends to take on conference foes College of Charleston and Furman before returning home to take on Georgia Southern April 30-May 1 in the final home games of the 2011 season.

Fuzzard said the Lady Mocs will try to stay consistant on the road trip as they try to stay undefeated in conference play.

“We’re going to work on maintaining and trying to keep the swings that we have because it’s been working for us,” Fuzzard said. “Defense has been solid and our pitching has been great — Nikki [Waters] has been awesome; Kandice [Irwin] has been shutting them down. This week we’ll be maintaining our skills and getting ready to go on the road.”