STATESBORO, Ga. — The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team suffered its first Southern Conference loss of the season Saturday, 2-0 at Georgia Southern, but rebounded for a 9-4 win that was the Eagles’ first league defeat.
UTC (19-12, 5-1) managed only five hits in the opener, when Lady Mocs freshman pitcher Taylor Deason gave up eight hits and two walks.
GSU (21-12, 7-1) got all the offense it needed in the fifth inning when Mackenzie Williams hit a two-run home run. Eagles pitcher Sarah Purvis struck out 11 in the shutout.
The Lady Mocs pounded out 12 hits in the second game, getting home runs from catcher Vivian Morimoto and first baseman Kasey Tydingco. Morimoto went 4-for-4 with with four RBIs, including a two-run double in UTC’s five-run third inning, while Tydingco and shortstop Jessica Traxler each had two RBIs. Traxler and freshman center fielder Cheyenne Willis had two hits each.
UTC senior Michelle Fuzzard was 3-for-4 with an RBI and picked up the pitching victory, allowing three earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts.