North Carolina and UCF defeat UTC

Day two of the 2012 season didn't go quite as well for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team.

After opening with two wins Friday at at Dot Richardson's National Collegiate Invitational in Clermont, Fla., the Lady Mocs fell twice Saturday, losing to North Carolina 10-0 and falling 6-2 to Central Florida in the evening.

Senior pitcher Michelle Fuzzard was roughed up from the beginning against North Carolina, allowing back-to-back-to-back home runs by Kelli Wheeler, Ally Blake and Logan Foulks to start the game.

After allowing three home runs on her first five pitches, Fuzzard held the Tar Heels in check through the third inning.

The Tar Heels scored five more runs in the fourth inning off Fuzzard and freshman pitcher Taylor Deason, aided by an error by Jessica Traxler and two-run singles by UNC's Foulks and Jenna Kelly.

Two more UNC runs in the fifth inning put the game away for the Tar Heels.

Fuzzard allowed eight runs -- but only three earned runs -- on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings to get the loss, and Deason gave up two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings.

UTC could never get its offense going against UNC pitcher Lori Spingola, who allowed three hits -- a double by second baseman Sara Poteat and singles by Vivian Morimoto and Kasey Tydinco -- and four walks while striking out 12 Lady Mocs batters.

Against Central Florida, UTC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Poteat singled and scored on a sacrifice pop fly by Morimoto, but Central Florida responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning and added a single run in the third and three runs in the sixth inning.

UTC scored a single run in its last at-bat when Sarah Beth Roberts doubled and scored on a single by Natalie Powers.

Robers finished 2-for-3 and Poteat was 2-for-4 in the late loss.

Fuzzard again took the pitching loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits while striking out three.

UTC wraps up play in Florida today against Florida Atlantic starting at noon.