April 5, 2009

Box Score

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Chattanooga third baseman Toni Hutchison hit a grand-slam, in the top of the ninth inning, to give the Mocs a Southern Conference sweep over Western Carolina softball Sunday at the Catamount Softball Complex. Western Carolina falls to 9-23 and 5-7 in the Southern Conference while Chattanooga improves to 20-16 and 10-2 in the SoCon.

It was the second extra-inning game in the series in as many days. The second game of the doubleheader, on Saturday, went 10 innings, while Sunday's contest went nine.

The Catamounts trailed for the entirety of the game, down 4-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning when Western Carolina rallied for two runs to tie the game. Kerri Burnside hit a lead-off single and got into scoring position off a wild pitch by Chattanooga hurler Brooke Loudermilk. With a 3-2 count, freshman Chelsea Schaffer notched her second hit of the game, a screaming single to right field and Burnside scored off a Mocs' miscue. Schaffer motored to third when sophomore Amber Hawkins hit a ground out. Chattanooga decided to walk senior Mollie Fowler, who had already burnt the club for a homerun, but as Loudermilk was tossing the fourth ball in the intentional free pass, it skipped over the head of catcher of Brittany Eason to plate Schaffer and tie the game at four.

After a scoreless eighth inning, Chattanooga put the game out of reach off the bomb by Hutchison from an offering by pitcher Katie King. Western Carolina proved what the club had shown all weekend it wouldn't go down without a fight, however.

In the bottom of the ninth, Western Carolina pulled within two runs when Kristen Gay led off with a single and Hawkins hit her fifth homerun of the season to make the score 8-6. With one out, Stephanie Beatty singled to left center but a fly out to right field by Lauren Ross and a strike out by Brittany Barrineau halted the Catamount rally.

Sophomore Chere Monday started the game for Western Carolina and tossed three solid innings before getting burnt in the fourth. The Seymour, Tennessee native gave up a lone run in the top of the first when Chattanooga's Michelle Fuzzard hit an RBI double.

The second and third innings went without event until the fourth inning. Chattanooga posted three runs, and took a 4-0 advantage, off a three-run homerun by Eason. After giving up the long ball, Monday was replaced by King who completed the game. Monday went three innings allowing four runs on six hits. King took the loss in the contest, falling to 3-10, allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out three.

Western Carolina cut the Chattanooga lead to two with one swing of Mollie Fowler's bat. In the top of the fifth inning Schaffer kept her hitting streak alive, hitting safely in the last nine games, when she led off with a double. With two outs, Fowler hit a laser over the right field wall for her fifth homerun of the season.

Fowler, Schaffer, Beatty and Burnside each had two hits in the game. Fowler was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Schaffer was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

Chattanooga pitcher Loudermilk started the game, was replaced by Michelle Fuzzard in the middle of the fifth, and then came back in middle of the seventh. She takes the win and improves to 4-0.

Western Carolina returns to action Tuesday hosting North Carolina A&T in non-conference action. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3 p.m.