UTC Mocs logoThe offense got going in a big way for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team Saturday as the Lady Mocs pounded out 21 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Western Carolina.
UTC won 11-8 and then routed the Catamounts 10-1 in six innings to complete the three-game weekend Southern Conference sweep.
Senior first baseman Kasey Tydingco homered in each game to raise her season total to four homers. She now leads the Lady Mocs (21-16, 6-3) with a .371 batting average after going 5-for-6 on Saturday with eight RBIs.
Western Carolina (11-24, 3-10) took a 4-1 lead in the first game with a four-run second inning highlighted by a two-run home run by Shemekia Scotton. The hosts led 6-4 after three innings on a home run by catcher Heather Chastain.
But the Lady Mocs struck for seven runs on four hits in the top of the fifth and held on despite another home run by Chastain.
Sara Poteat and Sam Taylor each had two hits and scored twice for UTC in the first game, and sophomore starter Taylor Deason picked up the win to improve her record to 14-7.
In the second game, freshman pitcher Rachel Albritton held the Catamounts to one run on eight hits for the complete-game victory, and the Lady Mocs used a five-run third inning to roll to an easy win.
Tydingco's three-run homer highlighted the fifth, in which UTC got five of its 11 hits to take a commanding lead.
Freshman shortstop Alyssa Taylor hit her first career college home run in a two-run fifth inning, and UTC scored three more runs in the sixth to end the game early.
Poteat, Tydingco and Kaisey Carson each had two hits in that game, and freshman center fielder Sam Taylor went 3-for-4 with a triple, a stolen base, two RBIs and two runs.
UTC will be back home next weekend for a series against Georgia Southern starting with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday at Jim Frost Stadium.
• Chattanooga State 7, Dyersburg State 0: At Dyersburg, the Lady Tigers won their ninth game in a row but for the second day in a row in northwestern Tennessee had their second game rained out. Chattanooga State is 23-9, 14-4 in the TCCAA.
When Cleveland State beat nationally ranked Walters State (19-5, 12-3) in the second game of their Friday TCCAA doubleheader, 9-6, the Lady Cougars (7-16, 5-12) scored seven runs in the seventh inning. Emily Houston tripled in three runs in the uprising. Sydney Howell homered and drove in two runs and Sara O'Rear was 2-for-2 with two RBIs as well.
• Tennessee Temple 5-3, Columbia 2-10: At Ooltewah High School, Carly Daniel pitched the win for Temple (10-10) with no earned runs allowed and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Raven Pope and Autrelle Brazzle each was 2-for-3 as well. Daniel was 2-for-2 in the loss.
• Birmingham-Southern 18-8, Sewanee 0-0: At Birmingham, Ala., after losing 9-0 and 14-2 Friday in the Southern Athletic Association series, the visiting Tigers fell to 5-13 with two hits and no hits in Saturday's doubleheader.
They had two hits in each game Friday, when in game two Sarah Anne Hamilton was 0-for-1 with two walks, an RBI and a run and Kayla Sewell also had an RBI.
• Bryan 8-10, Asbury 2-9: Friday at Wilmore, Ky., Christine Marino hit a three-run homer and Rachel Kirby had a two-run double and another RBI and matched Alexsa Valdes and Kirstie Jennings with two runs apiece in the first game of the Lady Lions' doubleheader sweep. Their games Saturday at Midway College were called off.
Sarah Hundley pitched a five-hitter in that first win and got a save in game two, when Valdes was 3-for-4, Taylor Yates was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, Courtney Combs hit a pinch-hit three-run homer, Jennings was 2-for-4 with two runs and Katelyn Bowen and Heather Daniel also had two hits each for Bryan (11-15). Kirby's two-run single in the eighth inning was the difference.