Visiting Mercer scored 17 runs in two softball games Saturday against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, but the Bears got zero in Sunday’s series wrapup.
UTC pitcher Cori Jennings got out of a shaky situation without harm in the top of the first inning, and her teammates made her feel even better by scoring five runs in the bottom. The Mocs added two runs in each of their next two at-bats and won 9-0 in five innings, taking the Southern Conference series two games to one.
UTC (26-22) has scrambled after an 8-0 season start, at least partly because of a collection of injuries, but has won three of its four league series and is 6-6 in SoCon play. Even in the three-loss weekend at Samford, the last two were by one run.
“We’ve been getting two out of three for the most part, and that’s a credit to the players and the staff for getting them ready,” Mocs coach Frank Reed said. “We’re having to play so many people out of position, so we have to make sure they’re in the right place and they’re aggressive at the plate without swinging at bad pitches.”
Alyssa Taylor singled to open the Mocs’ first at-bat, and Alyssa Coppinger and Criket Blanco walked, loading the bases. Then freshman Jordan Fortel and senior Anyssa Robles smashed one-out two-run doubles, Amanda Beltran walked and Amanda Ross singled in the fifth run.