College of Charleston
Chattanooga
Softball Drops a Pair in SoCon Opener
3/10/2012 11:06:00 PM | Softball
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The College of Charleston softball team dropped a pair of games to Chattanooga in a Southern Conference season-opening doubleheader at Frost Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars took a tough 11-1 loss in the opener and regrouped well for the second but still found themselves on the wrong side of a 2-1 decision.
The teams conclude the series set with a single game at Frost Stadium on Sunday, March 11 starting at 2 p.m.
Ashton Jarrett (Hanahan, S.C.) was 3-for-5 between the two games for the Cougars. Kristy Giragosian (Charlotte, N.C.) extended her hit streak to five games with a hit in both contests. Kelsey Hodgson (Woodstock, Ga.) hit her fourth home run of the season in game one.
The Cougars were incredibly efficient with their leadoff hitters with seven of 12 reaching base on the day but were plagued with stranded runners in the end.
GAME ONE: CofC: 1, Chattanooga: 11 (Click for Box Score)
CofC saw quality at-bats in the first innings of the opener but surrendered a couple big-number innings to the Mocs en route to the lopsided loss.
The Cougars showed promise in their early at bats with leadoff singles in both the first and third innings and having five of their first seven hitters force full counts and see extra pitches.
It was Chattanooga's bats, however, which ignited in the third inning as the Mocs sprung for five runs on three hits and a Cougar fielding error. Two of the three hits in the inning were home runs with a two-run shot coming from Michelle Fuzzard and a solo shot from Vivian Morimoto two batters later.
The Cougars showed resolve in the following inning when Hodgson crushed the second pitch she saw and sent it out of the park to center in a hurry. Giragosian then cracked a double down the leftfield line as CofC looked to work itself back into the game but she would ultimately be the final batter to reach base for the Cougars.
The Mocs limited CofC's comeback chances when they hung up another crooked number on the scoreboard in the fifth. The Cougars sat down the leadoff hitter but then Chattanooga reached five straight hitters with two singles, two doubles and a Cougars fielding error. As the dust started to settle, Morimoto tagged her second home run of the game to cap off the Mocs' six-run, six-hit fifth inning.
GAME TWO: CofC: 1, Chattanooga: 2 (Click for Box Score)
The Cougars fared better in the second contest but ultimately fell after Cougars outhit the Mocs, 7-6, but doomed themselves by leaving nine runners on the bases.
The Cougar defense alleviated the task on their pitchers by turning a program-record three double plays in the game.
Chattanooga jumped out to an early two-run lead with plate crossings in the first two innings. The first came via small-ball through an infield single, stolen base and RBI single through the right side. They struck again in the second inning with one swing of the bat from Jessica Traxler which sent a ball into the bleachers in left field.
The Cougars cut the lead in half in the fourth when Allison Pedigo (Scottsville, Ky.) led off with a double and Hope Klicker (Walla Walla, Wash.) was struck by a pitch in her left elbow. The Cougars saw one of their runners get picked off before Carly Corthell (Reno, Nev.) delivered a two-out double into right center to bring a runner around from second base.
The Cougars had a runner caught stealing in the fifth and left the bases loaded in the sixth which quieted and ultimately ended the comeback effort.
