College of Charleston
Chattanooga
Seniors Help Lead Cougars to Double Header Split With Chattanooga on Senior Day
5/2/2009 10:45:00 PM | Softball
Game 1 Boxscore - Chattanooga at College of Charleston
Game 2 Boxscore - Chattanooga at College of Charleston
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. ?A 2-for-3, two RBI day from senior shortstop Christal Kotchman (Seminole, Fla.) and a solid 3.1 innings of relief from senior pitcher Shannon Howard (Carmichael, Calif.) helped led the College of Charleston (22-24, 13-9) to a split of the first two games against Chattanooga (26-21, 15-4) in their Southern Conference series on May 2 in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The Cougars claimed a 4-2 victory in Game 1 before seeing a seventh inning rally fall short in a 7-4 loss in the second game.
GAME 1
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 4, CHATTANOOGA 2
Charleston got on the board first in Game 1 as they notched a pair of runs in the second inning behind timely hitting and a solid eye at the plate. Junior catcher Amanda Maurer (Haubstadt, Ind.) collected the first of her three singles with runners on first and third to give CofC a 1-0 lead. Following a walk to sophomore outfielder Kristi Woodall (Huntersville, N.C.) to load the bases, Christal Kotchman took four straight balls to force in a run and push the lead to 2-0.
That score would hold up until the top of the fourth inning when sophomore first baseman Michelle Fuzzard and sophomore second baseman Tiffany Baker each connected on towering solo home runs to left field in back-to-back at bats to tie the game at 2-2. The Cougars answered right back in the bottom of the inning as Maurer led off with another single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Senior outfielder Tiffany Harmon (Lynn Haven, Fla.) then singled to left center and stole second to put two runners at second and third with one out. Kotchman then came through again as she doubled to short right field to give Charleston a 3-2 lead. The score would stay that way until the sixth inning when another Maurer single and Woodall sac bunt put a runner on second base with one down. This time it was Harmon's turn to shine on Senior Day as she tripled to left center to extend the lead to 4-2.
That would be all they would need as Howard wrapped up a solid relief outing by working around a pair of singles in the seventh inning to close out the two-run victory.
Freshman shortstop Jessica Traxler led the Lady Mocs with a 2-for-3 day while Fuzzard and Baker each had an RBI and scored a run on solo home runs. For Baker, it was her 11th of the season. In the pitching circle, Fuzzard started and went 1.1 innings in an emergency start, allowing two hits, two runs and a pair of walks before giving way to sophomore pitcher Kaity Holloway. She threw 4.2 innings and allowed the final two runs to take the loss, falling to 4-3 on the year.
For Charleston, Amanda Maurer produced a career-high 3-for-3, one RBI day while seniors Harmon and Kotchman led the way at the top of the order. Harmon went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple and stole her team-leading 15th base while Kotchman finished 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and her ninth stolen base of the season.
Junior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) started and went 3.2 innings, allowing six hits and two runs, before Howard entered the circle in the fourth inning. She pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, surrendering just two hits and striking out four to earn the win and move to 6-11 on the season.
The victory extended the College of Charleston's season-high win streak to five games.
GAME 2
CHATTANOOGA 7, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 4
In the nightcap, it was all Chattanooga for much of the game as the Lady Mocs used a five run third inning to take a commanding lead early on. Junior outfielder Kaiti Kelley laced a two-RBI double while Fuzzard and Traxler each singled home runs. Baker rounded out the offensive outburst with an RBI double.
UTC would add runs in the fourth and sixth innings when Fuzzard produced a pair of RBI singles in each frame to push their advantage to 7-0. That would change in the seventh as three straight singles to lead off the inning by the Cougars made it 7-1.
With runners on second and third and no outs, the Harmon struck again as she laced a single to center to score both runners and narrow the gap to 7-3. Charleston would get one more run on an RBI triple by redshirt junior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) before Chattanooga sealed the 7-4 victory.
Fuzzard led the way for Chattanooga with a 3-for-4, three RBI day and sophomore centerfielder Lyndsey Stiles went 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs and three stolen bases. Kelley added a pair of RBIs while Baker and Traxler each had one. In the circle, sophomore Kandice Irwin pitched six strong innings, allowing only two runs and striking out four to collect the win and improve to 8-10 on the season.
Amber Shifflett went 3-for-4 with her third triple of the season for the College of Charleston while freshman outfielder Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Woodall each finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Woodall added an RBI. Harmon accounted for the remainder of the offense with a pair of RBIs.
Freshman outfielder Katie Forbes (Odessa, Fla.) started and pitched two innings before being chased from the game after allowing six hits and five runs. She took the loss, the first of her collegiate career, to fall to 2-1. Howard threw five innings of relief and held the Lady Mocs to five hits and two runs but did not factor in the decision.
The College of Charleston wraps up the series, and the regular season, tomorrow afternoon when they take on Chattanooga at 1:00 p.m. at Patriots Point Stadium.
SEEDING SCENARIOS
The victory in Game 1, combined with a Georgia Southern loss to Furman earlier in the day, keeps the Cougars in position to claim the second overall seed in the 2009 Southern Conference Tournament. Charleston will need to win tomorrow to lock up the No. 2 seed. A victory would tie them with Appalachian State but CofC would earn the higher seed by virtue of their series win at ASU earlier in the season.
Should Charleston lose tomorrow, they can still clinch the third seed with a Georgia Southern loss against Furman. If the Cougars drop tomorrow's game and GSU wins, CofC would be the fourth seed.
