Freshman Celie Hudson pitched a three-hitter and senior Katy Richardson went 3-for-3 as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team ended a rough regular season Friday with a 2-1 win at Furman. The Paladins (31-21, 11-6) could have clinched at least a share of the Southern Conference title, but now they must see what East Tennessee State (24-22, 9-5) does in its three-game series today and Sunday at UNC Greensboro. UTC (14-36, 4-14) will be seeded seventh for the SoCon tournament beginning Wednesday in Chattanooga. Hudson (5-9) gave up seven walks Friday, and two of those plus a fielding error led to a second-inning run for Furman. But the Mocs got two in the sixth off Lindsey Bert (18-11). Aly Walker led it off with a single, Jesslyn Stockard drew a one-out walk and Richardson singled to load the bases before Halie Williamson and Brook Womack singled in runs. Walker also doubled and is batting .329, while Williamson is at .324, Hayleigh Weissenbach at .320, Richardson at .318 and J.J. Hamill at .316.
Baseball
» Top-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan completed its Thursday night comeback against Reinhardt with a 6-5 victory Friday in the Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball tournament in Kingsport, Tenn., and then third seed Bryan eliminated No. 2 seed Point, 9-2, to earn a rematch this morning with Truett McConnell. Union (Ky.) ousted Reinhardt, 8-4, and will play Wesleyan at noon today. If Truett and TWU win, they will meet at 4 p.m. for the championship, but a win by either of the one-loss teams will extend the event. TWU's Nehwon Norkeh, who was 3-for-4, homered to lead off the four-run sixth inning interrupted by night-ending rain and scored a tying fifth run Friday on a wild pitch in the seventh. Malik Stephens doubled with two outs in the eighth and scored on a Pedro Barrios single. For Bryan, Fernando Garcia was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, Trevor Behrent scored two runs and drove in two, Brookes Jones was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Prentice Young scored three times as a runner for catcher Justin Morhardt. Starting pitcher Travis Moore allowed five hits and one earned run in his five innings, and Miguel Lopez pitched a hitless sixth with two walks and two strikeouts and Tristan Legault allowed one hit in three innings.
Boxing
» Chattanooga's Joseph Francisco won a four-round 135-pound decision and his younger brother, Roger Hilley, won by first-round knockout at 130 in a professional boxing event Thursday night at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Francisco won over John Willoughby from Selma, Ala., and Hilley beat Anthony Woods of Forrest City, Ark. The other three fights went six rounds, won by Carlos Jackson of Atlanta at 126, Winfred Harris of Detroit at 168 and Maurenzo Smith of Houston at heavyweight.
» As the Red Bank Boxing Club hosts the Southeastern Asssociation Junior Olympics state tournament for Alabama and Tennessee today, beginning at 3 p.m., Chattanooga's YCAP program will have Montavious Ware, Keyvon Long, Georral Adams, T.J. Arnold, Marcus Hyatt, Charles Parker and Tyler Hubbard competing. Red Bank has Keegan Cable, Chase Curvin and Zaqui George. Red Bank's Tristan Curvin is unopposed and already set for the regional in Shreveport, La. Admission costs $7, $3 for students, free for ages 12-under.
General
» Chattanooga resident, UTC graduate and former Chattanooga State dean Sherry Hoppe will be one of two Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame inductees June 2 at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Nashville. After her time at Chattanooga State and 12 years as president at Roane State, Hoppe presided over OVC member Austin Peay from 2000 until retiring in 2007, and she remains president emeritus of the Clarksville school. It was the fastest growing university in Tennessee four straight years during her time as president, and in athletics it won 19 conference championships, added women's soccer and restored scholarship football.