Home Runs Lift Mocs Past Princeton, Lehigh on Final Day of Spring Games
The Chattanooga Mocs softball team took out Princeton and Lehigh Wednesday at the Spring Games at Madeira Beach, Fla. Chattanooga improves to 14-7 overall and have won its last five games.
Chattanooga beat Princeton 7-6 on a walk-off home run by Kaili Phillips. After the Tigers came back and tied the game in the top of the seventh, Phillips led off with a shot over the centerfield wall for the win.
In the win over Lehigh, the Mocs led 1-0 heading into the fourth. Kailey Snell’s single up the middle put one on base for Addy Keylon. She took the first pitch over the wall in left center to put Chattanooga up 3-0.
CHATTANOOGA 7, PRINCETON 6
The Mocs plated three runs in the bottom of the third Wednesday morning against the Tigers. Emily Coltharp walked and scampered to second on a wild pitch. Hannah Pfeifer singled to the pitcher and runners were safe at the corners.
Olivia Lipari waked to load the bases. A wild pitch sent Coltharp home for the first score and moved the runners up. Another wild pitch sent Pfeifer home and Lipari landed on third. Acelynn Sellers reached on an error, but it would be single from Phillips to left field that scored Lipari to put Chattanooga up 3-0. A rain delay halted the rally, but only for the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, UTC scored twice to go up 5-0. Addy Keylon singled to right field and stole second. Coltharp’s single moved Keylon up a base. Coltharp took second to put both runners in scoring position and a double off the bat of Olivia Lipari sent both home.
Princeton got on the board in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer.
In the bottom of the inning, Kaili Phillips hit the first of her two home runs in the game to put the Mocs firmly ahead 6-2.
The Tigers cut Chattanooga’s lead in half, 6-3, in the sixth on a throwing error and tied it in the seventh with three runs. Princeton loaded the bases on three walks. A double to right center after a pitching change made it 6-5 and an RBI groundout tied the game.
Phillips took Princeton’s first pitch and sent it over the wall in center field for a walk-off.
Goold (3-3) pitched two-thirds of an inning and picked up the win.
SCORING SUMMARY
B3rd: Lipari advanced to second on wild pitch; Pfeifer advanced to third; Coltharp scored.
B3rd: Lipari advanced to third on a wild pitch; Pfeifer scored.
B3rd: Phillips singled to left field, RBI; Sellers advanced to second; Lipari scored.
B4th: Lipari doubled to center field, 2 RBI; Sellers advanced to second; Keylon scored.
T5th: Marsalo homered to right center, 2 RBI; Murphy scored.
B5th: Phillips homered to left center, RBI.
T6th: Bade reached on a fielding error by 2b; advanced to second; Jackson advanced to second, advanced to third on a throwing error by 2b;Harrison scored, unearned.
T7th: Jackson doubled to right center, 2 RBI; Chang advanced to third; Ha scored, Hornberger scored.
T7th: Bade grounded out to ss, RBI; Chang scored.
B7th: Phillips homered to center field, RBI.
CHATTANOOGA 3, LEIGH 1
The Mocs got on the board in the top of the first on a double from Olivia Lipari. Emily Coltharp led off with a single to left field and stole second to get into scoring position. Lipari brought her home with a shot into left field.
The fourth inning saw two more runs on the board for Chattanooga. Kailey Snell singled up the middle and Keylon recorded two RBI with a homerun to center field to make it 3-0.
Lehigh got one run back in the bottom of the fourth, but that would be all. Lehigh recorded two more hits in the game, but stranded its runners.
Taylor Long went the distance for UTC, improving to 5-1 on the year. She allowed one run on five hits. She struck out four and walked a pair.
SCORING SUMMARY
T1st: Lipari doubled to left center, RBI; Coltharp scored.
T4th: Keylon homered to center field, 2 RBI; Snell scored.
B4th: Charles reached on a throwing error by ss, advanced to second, RBI; Dudley scored, unearned.
There’s no rest for the Mocs who will take on Florida Gulf Coast Thursday and Friday in Ft. Myers. Thursday’s first pitch is at 6:00 p.m. Friday’s doubleheader begins at 5:00 p.m.
