University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball coach Frank Reed preaches three things as keys to winning games: hitting, pitching and fielding.
Sunday afternoon, UTC got only a percentage of all three and lost because of it.
The host Mocs had just three hits in a 5-2 loss to Saint Louis in the final game of the Frost Classic. It's the last time they'll be in town for more than a month, because they have tournaments that will take them on the road throughout March, then will start their Southern Conference schedule at Mercer.
UTC pitcher Payten Price (3-7) allowed eight hits, struck out four batters and walked one as she gave up three earned runs Sunday, and a pair of second-inning errors led to the Billikens' first two runs.
"We talk about the little things," Mocs second baseman Ashley Conner said. "What's free? You hustle, you talk, that's free. Even if the body's tired, if you don't have that much energy, talking and hustling is something you find in your heart.
"You don't have to worry about the big things if you get the little things done first, so that's been a big focus in the locker room or before games or in practice during the week."
Saint Louis (6-4) added another run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Alex Nickel.
The Mocs' batting was a bright spot Saturday, when they had 22 hits in two games, but it was missing Sunday. Two of their hits against Saint Louis came in the third inning on back-to-back doubles by Alyssa Coppinger and Hayleigh Weissenbach, with the latter scoring on a throwing error by third baseman Allie Macfarlane.
The Billikens plated a run apiece in the fifth and sixth on a wild pitch by Price and a solo home run by Hailey Weavers.
A seventh-inning single by Conner was the final hit for UTC (5-9), which finished the weekend 2-3 and will travel to Orlando, Fla., for the Diamond 9 tournament next weekend.
"We could have been 4-1," Reed said. "Are we better than we were three weeks ago? We are, but you don't want to get to the point where we beat ourselves down.
"As much as you want to win, this is about trying to prepare us for something bigger and something better down the road."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.