Lady Mocs split at GSU

STATESBORO, Ga. -- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team suffered its first Southern Conference loss of the season Saturday, 2-0 at Georgia Southern, but rebounded for a 9-4 win that was the Eagles' first league defeat.

UTC (19-12, 5-1) managed only five hits in the opener, when Lady Mocs freshman pitcher Taylor Deason gave up eight hits and two walks.

GSU (21-12, 7-1) got all the offense it needed in the fifth inning when Mackenzie Williams hit a two-run home run. Eagles pitcher Sarah Purvis struck out 11 in the shutout.

The Lady Mocs pounded out 12 hits in the second game, getting home runs from catcher Vivian Morimoto and first baseman Kasey Tydingco. Morimoto went 4-for-4 with with four RBIs, including a two-run double in UTC's five-run third inning, while Tydingco and shortstop Jessica Traxler each had two RBIs. Traxler and freshman center fielder Cheyenne Willis had two hits each.

UTC senior Michelle Fuzzard was 3-for-4 with an RBI and picked up the pitching victory, allowing three earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

The three-game series wraps up today at 1 p.m.

• LaGrange 1-8, Covenant 0-1: At Covenant, the Panthers pulled off the Great South Athletic Conference sweep as Kayla Folds pitched a shutout with nine strikeouts and then tripled and batted in four runs in support of Lacee Landrum's five-hitter with seven strikeouts. Meagan Hess was 2-for-3 in the first game for Covenant (16-9, 6-5), when Chelsea Krafft threw her own five-hitter with eight strikeouts but was victimized by an unearned run. Courtney Wagoner had two hits in the second loss.

• Union 9-5, Bryan 5-8: At Barbourville, Ky., the visiting Lady Lions improved to 3-5 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, 10-26 overall, with the second-game win, when Taylor Yates was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Kirstie Jennings and Katie Vaughn each was 2-for-3 with an RBI, scoring two runs and one. Jennings also was 2-for-3 in the loss, with two RBIs, and Lauren Mathews and Yates each had two hits.

• Lee University's last three games in the SSAC Crossover at Columbus were rained out, as was Cleveland State's scheduled home doubleheader against Walters State.

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