UTC's 'Scrappys' to debut April 12

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is starting a gala ceremony to honor standouts in all sports. Presented by Chattanooga Coca-Cola and Brenda Lawson & Associates, The Scrappy Awards debut is set for April 12 in the Imperial Ballroom of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, and tickets cost $50. The dinner will start at 7 p.m.; doors will open at 6. "I am always amazed at the accomplishments of our student-athletes," UTC athletic director Rick Hart said in a school release. "This will be a very special night where we can all get together as Mocs and celebrate them all." The primary focus of the evening will be seniors in the 17 men's and women's varsity sports, but "The Scrappys" will include highlight awards including play of the year, individual performance of the year, victory of the year, rookie of the year, best comeback academically, best comeback athletically, scholar-athlete of the year, team of the year and male and female student-athletes of the year. Other honors will include coach of the year, professor of the year, fan of the year, student fan of the year and behind-the-scenes award. Reservations are available through William Kent of the UTC Mocs Club at 425-4233 or utcthescrappys@utc.edu. Kent also can provide information about sponsorship opportunities or the 6 p.m. VIP reception with UTC's coaches.

Tennis

* UTC's Jackson Tresnan was named Tuesday the Southern Conference men's tennis player of the month for February. The junior from Apopka, Fla., went 5-0 in singles and 3-1 in doubles last month and has been part of the best Mocs start since 2008. He usually played at No. 5 singles. The Mocs will host Georgia Southern in a SoCon match at 1 p.m. Thursday on the UTC courts.

Softball

* UTC's Michelle Fuzzard got the award for Southern Conference softball player of the month for February. The fifth-year senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., batted .563 and had 17 RBIs in 13 games in February, setting herself up to take over as the Lady Mocs career RBI leader last Sunday with 178. Fuzzard hit three home runs and six doubles in February, when she had 17 multi-hit and five multi-RBI games. UTC (14-9) lost 1-0 Tuesday at Florida State when Vivian Morimoto's potential two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning was caught about two feet short of the fence. Ninjja Suetsugu was 1-for-1 and Sarah Beth Roberts, Kasey Tydingco, Morimoto and Nicole Osterman also had hits for the Lady Mocs, while freshman Taylor Deason pitched a seven-hitter. Maddie O'Brien homered and Mallory Borden was 2-for-3 with two doubles for FSU (21-3).

* BOAZ, Ala. -- Chattanooga State improved its 2012 softball record to 31-3 by winning 5-0 and 11-2 in five innings Tuesday at Snead State. Ashley Czechner pitched a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the first game, when Chelsea Burgess was 3-for-4 with three doubles and three RBIs and MeQuilla Franklin, Marina Wilkerson and Shelby Johnson each was 2-for-3. Wilkerson was 3-for-4 and Franklin was 2-for-3 in game two, when Lacye Walker was 2-for-2 and Janna Scheff and Katie Robinson did the pitching. The Lady Tigers scored nine runs in the first two innings of that game.

* Lee University's Southern States Athletic Conference softball doubleheader scheduled Tuesday at Shorter University was rescheduled for today, beginning at 4 p.m.

Baseball

* ATHENS, Tenn. -- Taylor Oldham and Brad Carpenter hit three-run home runs and Thomas Sickling was 2-for-4 and scored three times as Tennessee Wesleyan defeated UVA-Wise 13-1 in college baseball Tuesday. Stephan Branca and Anthony Boix each was 1-for-2 and scored two runs, Branca driving in two and Boix adding one RBI, and Levi Dean pitched a five-hitter with 12 strikeouts.

* MARIETTA, Ga. -- Southern Polytechnic beat visiting Tennessee Temple 7-0 and 7-2 in college baseball Tuesday. Jon Clayton was 2-for-3 with a double in the first game for TTU (7-18-1), when Hunter Giles pitched a complete game and gave up four earned runs. Chris Altman was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Ryan Bruce had the other RBI for the Crusaders in game two.

Lacrosse

* Trailing by eight goals with 17:35 left in regulation time in Monday night's game against visiting Wooster, the Sewanee women's lacrosse team surged to a 14-12 overtime victory. Molly Arnold scored five goals and Mallory Grimm, Ellie Murphy and Meg Welton also had multiple scores for the Tigers (4-1), who took 42 shots and won 23 out of 29 draw controls. Arnold's score from a Murphy pass tied the match with 3:02 left in regulation, and Olivia Vietor scored and assisted on a Murphy goal in overtime.

* SEWANEE, Tenn. -- The Sewanee men's lacrosse team won 10-9 over Otterbein in overtime Tuesday. Pierce Leonard, Michael Morris and Jack Thomasson each scored twice for the Tigers (4-2), and Tommy Healy made 12 saves.

Soccer

* The East Ridge Express 00 Red won the under-12 girls Gold Division at the Red Diamond Vulcan Cup soccre tournament in Birmingham. Express Red beat the Ambush Red of Georgia in the final. The tournament included 275 teams from 12 states in all its divisions.

Upcoming Events