College of Charleston
Chattanooga
CofC Softball Overwhelms Chattanooga in Doubleheader Sweep
4/13/2013 11:09:00 PM | Softball
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – The College of Charleston softball team only needed Saturday afternoon to claim a pivotal Southern Conference series against Chattanooga with a doubleheader sweep at Patriots Point on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars had to rally from behind in both contests but walked away with 3-2 and 12-2 victories.
“I can't be more proud of how my players came together as a team here today,” said head coach Shelly Hoerner. “It was amazing to see how we all supported each other, and everyone served their role with their teammates in mind. We did an excellent job of being better in our at-bats than we were in the previous one.
I think we learned a lot about working together, about playing for each other, about trusting each other… My players really went out and earned these wins today and I couldn't be more proud.”
CofC (23-16, 10-6 SoCon) has now won eight of nine and will look to complete the series sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. The teams came into the weekend tied in the win column in a series which promises to shake up the top of the SoCon standings, pending other results around the league.
The Cougars trailed heading into the fifth inning of both games, but stayed on task to battle back. In the first game, the Cougars rallied in the seventh inning to walk off with a 3-2 win; and in the second, CofC poured on 11 runs across the fifth and sixth innings to enforce the eight-run rule and end the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Sophomore Allison Pedigo (Scottsville, Ky.) was virtually impossible to get out on the day and ended the afternoon 5-for-7, including all three Cougar RBIs in game one and a 4-for-4 showing in game two.
Pedigo ended the afternoon with four RBIs and Kristy Giragosian (Charlotte, N.C.) had five, three of which came on her walkoff home run which brought on the run rule in game two.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON: 3, CHATTANOOGA: 2
Hope Klicker (Walla Walla, Wash.) threw seven innings and scattered five hits while striking out five and not issuing a single walk to keep the Cougars within striking distance, despite the Cougars being unable to score until late.
The Cougars had five hits through the first five innings, but a double play and an unsuccessful stolen base attempt kept them off the board.
After a leadoff single in the first for the Mocs, Klicker retired the next 11 hitters she faced in order until a UTC strung together three hits with two outs in the fourth, the most effective being a run-scoring double by Sarah Beth Roberts which led to a 2-0 lead.
The Cougars responded in the bottom of the fifth when Ashton Jarrett (Hanahan, S.C.) led off with a single, which contributed to the Cougars reaching their leadoff hitter in six of the seven innings of game one. Kelsey Hodgson (Woodstock, Ga.) singled through the left side and the two would make their way to scoring position for Pedigo who delivered the timely two-out, two-RBI single to tie the game.
Klicker limited the Mocs to one combined base runner in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to put the Cougars in position to win it in the bottom of the seventh.
Lizzy Vaughn (Placerville, Calif.) and Hodgson singled and Chandler Frisbie (Lawrenceville, Ga.) walked to put the first three hitters aboard and load the bases, and Pedigo drew a full-count before watching ball four to earn the walkoff RBI base-on-balls.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON: 12, CHATTANOOGA: 2 (6 INN.)
Stephanie Saylors (Easley, S.C.) pitched the entirety of game two for the Cougars and also held the Mocs to five hits and two runs. The run support wouldn't come until late, but when it did it came in droves as the Cougars sprung for 11 in the fifth and sixth and draw the game to a close.
Just as they did in game one, Tydingco and Roberts were the only two Mocs to cross the plate and did so in the second when Tydingco walked and Roberts homered to left field.
Saylors effectively shut the UTC lineup down from there, allowing only one hit the rest of the way and keeping the Cougar deficit at just 2-0.
CofC cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out rally sparked by a Pedigo single into left center. Mackenzie Maples (Corona, Calif.) and Rebecca Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif.) followed with base hits towards the middle, and Mueller's RBI single into center cut it to 2-1.
Carly Corthell (Reno, Nev.) was hit by a pitch to start the fifth inning, and the Cougar dugout roared to life and the bats rallied. Jarrett beat out her sacrifice bunt effort for an infield single, and when the throw went into right field the runners moved up to second and third. Vaughn then doubled over the head of the center fielder and both runs scored to give the Cougars the 3-2 lead, but they would not stop there. The Cougars would reload the bases, and RBIs by Pedigo, Mueller and Giragosian capped off the Cougars six-run, hour-hit fifth.
The Cougars were not content with their 7-2 lead heading into the sixth and continued the onslaught in the bottom half of the inning. Hodgson drew a one-out walk, and Frisbie hammered the first pitch she saw out to left after two would-be homers had curled foul on the freshman earlier in the day. Pedigo then singled and Maples drew a walk, and then Giragosian's mammoth blast to left center quickly and decisively brought the game to a close.
