Georgia rocks UTC 9-0 in regional

photo UTC Mocs logo

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team struggled on offense against a powerful Georgia team Friday and lost 9-0 in five innings in both teams' opening game of the Athens Regional in the NCAA tournament.

After both teams failed to score in the first inning, Georgia got on the board in the second with an RBI hit by catcher Katie Browne against Lady Mocs starting pitcher Katie Henderson.

Georgia made it 4-0 in the third on a three-run home run by Kaylee Puailoa, and the floodgates opened in the fourth with the Bulldogs scoring four runs to force an early end to the game after the top of the fifth. Paige Wilson and Geri Ann Glasco had run-scoring hits, and Anna Swafford capped the UGA outburst with a bases-loaded triple.

Henderson gave up eight runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three in 3 2/3 innings. Junior pitcher Taylor Deason gave up a single run on a hit and a walk in one-third of an inning.

Georgia's pitching staff limited the Lady Mocs to two hits, one each by senior Stephanie Rieck and sophomore Alyssa Taylor.

UTC will face Alabama-Birmingham today at 2:30 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament. If the Lady Mocs beat UAB, they would play again at 5 p.m.

Lady Vols roll

In the Knoxville Regional of the NCAA tournament, Tennessee cruised to a 12-3 win over Charleston Southern.

Annie Aldrete was 2-for-3 with a home run and six RBIs for the Lady Vols, and Megan Geer went 3-for-3.

Ellen Renfroe pitched three scoreless innings to pick up the win. Rainey Gaffin struggled in relief in the third inning, giving up three unearned runs on three hits in 2/3 of an inning, but Erin Gabriel came in to end the Charleston Southern rally and finish the game.

Tennessee will take on Virginia Tech today at 2 p.m. The Hokies beat Lipscomb 4-3 in the first game of the regional.

Nunley downs Ohio

Former Soddy-Daisy star Kelsey Nunley got the best of Ohio's Savannah Jo Dorsey in a pitching duel as Kentucky beat the Bobcats 2-0 in the Lexington Regional.

Nunley and D0rsey each allowed just four hits, but Nunley benefited from two RBIs by first baseman Lauren Cumbess.

Cumbess homered in the second inning. Nunley and Dorsey then battled until the bottom of the sixth, when UK pushed across an insurance run on a sacrifice fly.

Kentucky next will face James Madison, which beat DePaul 6-1 earlier Friday.

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