Jordan Fortel had a smashing debut for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team Friday at the National Training Center Tournament at Clermont, Fla.
The freshman from Greeneville, Tenn., began her college career by getting the pitching win in relief on her own sacrifice fly in a 4-3 victory over Morgan State. She then batted in all of the Mocs' runs in a 3-1 defeat of Liberty with a two-run home run and a double.
Sophomore Cori Jennings pitched a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts against Liberty, which scored only one run in the first inning despite three UTC errors, a walk and a bases-loaded, no-out scenario. Jennings got two strikeouts and a groundout to escape major damage and allowed only one hit the rest of the game.
Fortel allowed four hits and no runs in her 3 1/3 innings in the opener, after Kailey Palazzola went 3 2/3 with three runs allowed on two hits. They combined for nine strikeouts.
Kimber Salvas gave Morgan State a 3-1 lead with a two-run pinch-hit single in the fourth, but Fortel started a two-run sixth for the Mocs with a single. Jesslyn Stockard hit a tying double in that inning and Alyssa Coppinger started UTC's next at-bat with a single. Bunt hits by Sam Taylor and Alyssa Taylor loaded the bases, and Fortel's fly to center scored Coppinger to end the game.
Fortel and Coppinger each was 2-for-3, and Criket Blanco and Anyssa Robles had RBIs.
"It's always good to get a couple of wins, and hopefully it propels us into bigger and better things," coach Frank Reed said in a UTC release. "I didn't think we played really well in the first game, but we were able to come back and scrape out of it. I think that gave us a little more confidence going into the second game.
"Cori pitched awesome, and Jordan had a couple of big hits. It was huge."
UTC faces Bethune and Akron in the tournament today.
* Lee 4-7, West Florida 3-6: At Cleveland, Tenn., the Lady Flames pulled out two one-run wins against their Gulf South Conference visitors as Lexie Dean went 3-for-3 and Macy Stovall 2-for-2 in the first game, each scoring a run, behind Angie Hughes' eight-strikeout pitching and Courtney Crawford was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs with Emily Dagnan 2-for-3 with a homer and a double in game two.
Also in the second game for Lee (7-3, 2-0), Rachel Polacek was 2-for-2 and Amanda Lynn was 2-for-4 and made an impressive game-ending play at shortstop. Kathleen Smiley hit a two-run homer and Meghan Toney was 3-for-4 and scored three times for West Florida (6-3, 0-2).
* Georgia Gwinnett 5-6, Bryan 2-0: Thursday at Lawrenceville, Ga., the Lady Lions began their season by falling twice to the team ranked 21st in the NAIA preseason poll.