The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team split two games Saturday in the first day of the Georgia State Panther Invitational in Atlanta.
The Lady Mocs defeated Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis 13-5 in five innings before losing 5-1 to host Georgia State.
Against IUPUI, UTC (4-3) pounded out 13 hits and took advantage of three errors. After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Lady Mocs took the lead on a two-run home run by Vivian Morrimoto.
The game was tied at 3 in the third when IUPUI scored two runs courtesy of three UTC errors. But the Lady Mocs answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a Jessica Traxler home run. UTC added three in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and four in the sixth, capped by another Traxler two-run shot to end the game by run rule.
Morimoto finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. UTC freshman Nicole Osterman hit her first home run for the Lady Mocs, and Michelle Fuzzard and Sara Poteat each had two hits in the win.
Fuzzard was the starting pitcher and allowed four runs -- one earned -- on five hits in 3 1/3 innings, but freshman Taylor Deason picked up the win in relief, giving up a single run and striking out three in 2 2/3 innings.
Georgia State held UTC to five hits with Fuzzard getting the only RBI for the Lady Mocs. Her single scored Kaiti Dutton from second base.
Deason allowed five runs in five innings for her first loss of the season.