The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga had a good day against Furman on Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader in the Lady Mocs' first Southern Conference home games.
Junior pitcher Taylor Deason came within one out of a no-hitter in the second game, a 3-0 win, and sophomore Katie Henderson earned the pitching victory in the 6-2 opener. UTC improved to 16-13 on the season and 3-1 in Southern Conference play.
In Deason's second shutout of the season, she walked only two batters and struck out eight before Furman third baseman Natalie Clemmons broke up the no-hitter with a single to left field. Deason got Lauren Collier to line out on the next pitch to end the game.
UTC got Deason all the runs she would need in the fourth inning with RBI singles by Sarah Beth Roberts, Alysssa Taylor and Anyssa Robles.
In the opening game, Furman (14-13, 2-2) scored its two runs in the first inning, but UTC took the lead in the third with five runs highlighted by a three-run double by left fielder Jenny Garcia. Senior designated hitter Stephanie Rieck went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and Alyssa Taylor had two hits and scored a run.
The series ends today with a single game scheduled for 2 p.m. at Frost Stadium.
• Shorter 7-7, Lee 5-1: At Rome, Ga., Ericka Bynum from Ringgold was 4-for-8 with a home run, seven RBIs and two runs scored in the Lady Hawks' Gulf South Conference doubleheader sweep. The teams play a single game today. Kendall Johnson from Gordon Lee doubled in a run and scored in the first game for Shorter (21-9, 11-4), and second-game pitcher Maddie Bray from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe scattered eight hits with only one run allowed.
Ana Coscorrosa was 2-for-2 with a homer and four RBIs for Lee in the first game and 2-for-4 with one RBI in game two for Lee (13-15, 6-8). Lexie Dean was 2-for-4 in each game and scored twice in the opener, when Dominique Hannah was 1-for-2 with a triple and two runs.
• Chattanooga State 9-9, Dyersburg State 0-0: At Chatt State, Sharlene Godoy pitched a five-inning two-hitter with nine strikeouts and Shelby Willard followed with a five-inning four-hitter as the nationally eighth-ranked Lady Tigers rose to 31-5 overall, 16-4 in the TCCAA.
Baylee Williams was 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs in the doubleheader, and Katy Richardson was 2-for-3 in the second game after doubling and driving in three runs in the opener, when Courtney Crawford was 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI. Khadija Neely was 3-for-3 and Cassidy Howren was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in game two.
• Walters State 8-12, Cleveland State 6-2: At Cleveland, the 19th-ranked Lady Senators (23-5, 16-4) completed a four-game TCCAA series sweep, but Ashley Swaney doubled and singled in a total of three runs in Saturday's opener for the Lady Cougars (7-23, 4-16).
Lauren Dreitlein had a three-run homer and a grand slam in the series finale after also hitting two homers in Friday's second game, when Walters overcame a 5-0 deficit and three Perry Hindi RBIs for an 11-7 win after prevailing 4-3 in eight innings.
• Berry 17-13, Sewanee 1-0: At Rome, Ga., Abby Daniels from Ooltewah homered twice among three hits and batted in seven in the first game and went 2-for-3 with four RBIs in the second as the Vikings went to 15-5 overall and 4-0 in the Southern Athletic Association. Daniels is batting .540 with an .873 slugging percentage and a team-high 25 RBIs. Tori Haugvoll was 2-for-2 and scored the run in the first game for the Tigers (3-11, 0-6).
Lady Vols win 5-4
At Knoxville, third-ranked Tennessee scored five runs in the first inning and held off South Carolina, 5-4, to go to 2-0 in the SEC series that ends today.
Madison Shipman continued her heroics by going 3-for-3, while Cheyanne Tarango had a two-run single and Melissa Davin was 2-for-4 with a double, and RBI and a run for Tennessee 27-3, 4-1).