Softball Mocs blank UAB 3-0 and more regional sports news

Assorted Sports Equipment on Black
Assorted Sports Equipment on Black

Cori Jennings pitched her second shutout in three days as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team completed 2016 nonconference play with a 3-0 win Tuesday evening at UAB. Each team had four hits. Doubles by Jordan Fortel and Amanda Ross in the second inning gave the Mocs (27-22) a 1-0 lead, and Jesslyn Stockard hit a pinch-hit, two-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh. The Blazers (22-25) loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half, but Jennings (13-8) got a groundout to end the game. Fortel was 2-for-3 and scored twice.

* Lee University catcher Emily Dagnan was a first-team All-Gulf South Conference softball selection for 2016, and fellow seniors Lexie Dean and Amanda Lynn made the second team. Dagnan, a former Sequatchie County and Chattanooga State standout, caught all but four games the last two seasons for the Lady Flames and batted .411 with eight homers, 19 doubles and 50 RBIs this year. Dean, a first baseman from Grace Academy, hit .472 with 14 doubles and 47 RBIs and is Lee's all-time hits leader, while shortstop and leadoff batter Lynn hit .414 with 24 stolen bases and 53 runs and is the program's career leader in runs, walks and steals. Shorter freshman outfielder Tiffany Holland from Gordon Lee was another second-team choice. She hit .387 with 13 steals in 14 tries.

* Pitcher of the year Sarah Hundley allowed one hit in six innings and all-conference teammate Kaitie Sims got a save with a one-hit seventh and three strikeouts as second-seeded Bryan College won 3-0 over Columbia (S.C.) in the AAC softball tournament Tuesday in Kingsport, Tenn. Sixth seed Point then upset Tennessee Wesleyan 3-1 and will face Bryan (28-21) at 5 p.m. today. Olivia Gore had two of Bryan's runs, walking in the first inning and scoring on the first of Mariam Wood's two hits and homering in the third. Kaleigh Riley homered in the sixth. Brooke Williams was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Point (28-25); Alyssa King had the RBI for TWC (23-17).

* Chattanooga State got its 38th softball win of the season Monday at Georgia Highlands, 6-5.

Volleyball

* UTC volleyball coach Travis Filar announced Tuesday the adding of three signees for the 2016 season: transfer Kasey Altman from Montana State and high school seniors Bailey Clemons from Nashville and Sarah Root from Waterford, Va. Altman and Clemons are experienced liberos and defensive specialists; Root, who played on the Dulles Volleyball Club with UTC's Ally Ford, has been a middle blocker and right-side attacker. "Sarah was a very high level basketball player and really fell in love with volleyball," Filar said in a school release. "She's going to bring a lot of explosiveness and athleticism to our front court." He noted that Clemons was the starting setter for Hume-Fogg as a freshman and sophomore and then went to Goodpasture Christian, which won a 2015 state championship with her as a libero. "Bailey is a great in-state talent. She has championship experience," Filar said. "She's a really solid serve receiver." While Bailey was accumulating 483 digs last season, Altman led Montana State with 352. "It's really great that Kasey's coming in with Division I starting libero experience," Filar said. "She's going to bring great maturity to our program. She competes with speed, ferocity, athleticism and high positive energy."

Baseball

* Lee second baseman Tyler Payne from McCallie School was the Gulf South baseball freshman of the week for the second time this season after going 5-for-15 and scoring four runs in the Flames' series at Mississippi College. He has started their last 27 games and is batting .347 with 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts.

* Fifth-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan won 15-5 at the University of the Cumberlands in NAIA baseball Tuesday and is 37-10. Alfred Cruz was 4-for-5, Wardy Polanco homered twice and Sully Rios Reyes was 2-for-3, each with three RBIs, and Pedro Barrios hit a two-run homer.

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