A poor start that only got worse led to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team's 12-0 loss to host Ole Miss in an NCAA regional first-round game Friday night.
The Rebels (38-18) scored six runs in the first inning on three hits, two errors, three walks and two hit batters, then added five more in the second on five hits. The game ended via the mercy rule after the Mocs (37-16) batted in the fifth inning.
UTC, which made the NCAA field via its Southern Conference championship, will face Southeast Missouri State (45-17) in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday. Southeast Missouri lost 3-2 to Louisiana in Friday's first game in Oxford.
The Ragin' Cajuns and Ole Miss will play at 1 p.m. with a berth in the regional's championship round on the line, and the loser of that game will face the winner of the UTC-Southeast Missouri game at 6 p.m. in another elimination matchup.
UTC's Celie Hudson, the SoCon pitcher of the year, had a shaky start Friday. Kylan Becker walked to lead off the bottom of the first, with Abbey Latham reaching on Hudson's error.
A hit batter, a run-scoring walk and Kaylee Horton's bases-clearing triple followed to make it 4-0. Hudson was pulled three batters and two runs later after getting only one out.
Ali Swinford wasn't treated kindly, either. She gave up five runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings as the Rebels put the game away early.
Freshman pitcher Mariah Ramirez was a bright spot for UTC after going the final two innings and allowing a run on one hit with four strikeouts. Freshman shortstop Emily Coltharp had two of UTC's five hits.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.