College of Charleston
Chattanooga
College of Charleston splits first two games against Chattanooga
5/8/2010 9:00:00 PM | Softball
CHATTANOOGA, TENN. - Senior designated hitter Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) broke the single season walk record as the College of Charleston (24-26, 10-12) earned a double-header split with Chattanooga (38-15, 18-5) in a Southern Conference softball series on Saturday, May 8. CofC was no-hit and fell 1-0 in eight innings in the first game before notching a 4-3 victory in Game 2.
Following three scoreless innings in Game 1 that saw only two hits, both by the Lady Mocs, a one-out single by freshman first baseman Kasey Tydingco and a deep double to left center by senior second baseman Tia Blosser in the fourth inning put runners on second and third. An intentional walk to junior third baseman Tiffany Baker, UTC's top hitter, then loaded the bases with the one out.
A hard ground ball to third on the next batter resulted in a force out at home to choke off the go-ahead run and the Cougars then got out of the jam with a high pop up to shortstop to keep the game scoreless. Chattanooga threatened the following inning as well as a one-out error, followed by a stolen base put a runner in scoring position. However, a pop up and a strikeout would get CofC out of the inning.
While the College of Charleston was effective in limiting the Lady Mocs to four hits, they could manage only a pair of walks through six innings of play. They did threaten in the top of the seventh as senior designated hitter Kristie Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) drew a leadoff walk and pinch runner Ashton Jarrett (Hanahan, S.C.) advanced to second on a fielder's choice that allowed the batter to reach. That would be all they would get though as UTC notched a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning,
Senior pitcher Terri Mesko (McDonough, Ga.) retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh but the Cougars could not manage anything in the top of the eighth inning. Senior catcher Brittany Eason led off the home half of the inning with a single to right center and junior second baseman Kristin Holloway pinch ran at first. She was stationed there as the next two batters lined out and flied out, respectively before Blosser then looped a ball to right field that dropped in and scored her from second base to give UTC a 1-0 victory and lock up the combined no-hitter.
Blosser was 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI for Chattanooga but the story was the combined no-hitter thrown by senior pitcher Brooke Loudermilk, junior pitchers Nikki Waters and Kandice Irwin. Loudermilk started and went three innings, allowing three walks, followed by Waters two innings of perfect relief and capped off by three innings by Irwin. She earned the win to move to 11-0, all in relief.
Terri Mesko threw 7.2 strong innings, allowing just the one run and striking out six to take the hard-luck loss and fall to 11-9 for the College of Charleston. Kristie Shifflett's walk in the seventh, one of four on the day for the Cougars, was her 34th of the year and broke the program's single season record, passing Amanda Cone's mark set in 2004. Redshirt-senior second baseman Amber Shifflett (Virginia Beach, Va.) earned a walk and stole her 20th base of the year. It is the ninth time a College of Charleston player has reached the 20-steal plateau and the second time for Shifflett.
In the second game, the College of Charleston got on the board first as junior outfielder Kristi Woodall (Huntersville, N.C.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the third inning then stole second and came around to score on a single to center by sophomore outfielder Amanda Lonergan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.). That 1-0 lead would be short lived as the Lady Mocs responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. In that frame, UTC tied the game as they scored their first run on a wild pitch before a single by junior outfielder Lauren Flores brought home the go-ahead run.
It would be the Cougars' turn to answer in the following inning though and Woodall would once again figure prominently. A pair of singles to lead off the fourth, followed by a one-out walk, loaded the bases and set the table for Woodall who then laced a two-RBI single to left center. That 3-2 lead would be all they would get in the frame as Chattanooga prevented any further damage with a double play.
CofC would work hard to maintain that one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth as UTC loaded the bases on three straight singles. A hard hit ball to shortstop enabled the Cougars to get the force out at home for the first out of the inning before a 3-2-4 double play squelched the Lady Mocs rally. The College of Charleston came right back in the fifth as Lonergan doubled to lead off the inning and then scored on a single by senior catcher Amanda Maurer (Haubstadt, Ind.) to stretch the lead to 4-2.
Chattanooga loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning before the Cougars forced out another runner at home plate. On the ensuing throw to first, though, the ball went down the right field line, allowing a third run to score for the Lady Mocs. CofC then got out of the inning as sophomore third baseman Katie Forbes (Odessa, Fla.) made the long throw across the diamond to prevent any further damage.
That play would be key as junior pitcher Alexa Datko (San Diego, Calif.) limited UTC in the seventh, allowing only a two-out single up the middle and closed out the game for a 4-3 victory.
Lauren Flores went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead Chattanooga while junior outfielder Lyndsey Stiles was 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base. Senior outfielder Kaiti Kelley went 2-for-3 to round out the offense for UTC. Kandice Irwin threw one inning of relief, allowing four hits and the go-ahead run to suffer her first loss of the season as she dropped to 11-1.
Kristi Woodall was 1-for-2 with two RBIs for the College of Charleston while Amanda Lonergan finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Katie Forbes delivered a 3-for-4 day that included a run scored and several solid defensive plays at third base. Alexa Datko pitched a complete game and allowed three runs to pick up her seventh win of the season and improve to 7-10.
The College of Charleston closes out the regular season with a 2 p.m. game with Chattanooga tomorrow afternoon.
NOTES
Kristie Shifflett's 34th walk of the season in Game 1 of the double-header broke the College of Charleston's single season record of 33 ... Amanda Cone (2001-04) set the record in 2004.
