Chattanooga, Tenn. – The Furman softball team opened Southern Conference play on Saturday afternoon by dropping both games of a doubleheader to the Chattanooga Mocs at Frost Stadium.
Chattanooga captured the first two games of the series by scores of 6-3 in game one and 7-4 in game two.
The Paladins fall to 9-17 overall and 0-2 in the SoCon while the Mocs improve to 18-14 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.
Game 1 – Furman 3, Chattanooga 6
Acelynn Sellers had two hits and three RBI, and Brooke Parrott earned the win in the circle, to lead Chattanooga to a 6-3 victory in game one.
Parrott (9-2) threw 6.1 innings in the opener and gave up three runs on eight hits, four walks and two strikeouts.
Sierra Tufts (5-8) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits, no walks and one strikeout over 4.2 innings of work. Hannah Wood (2) picked up the save pitching two-thirds of an inning in relief.
The Mocs struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first before Furman answered by scoring once in the second to trail 2-1 when
Chloe Fabio doubled down the left field line and brought home
Natalie Morgan.
Chattanooga broke the game open with back-to-back two-run frames in the fourth and fifth innings to extend its lead to 6-1 highlighted by Sellers' two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
The Paladins would score a single run each in the sixth and seventh innings to put the final score at 6-3.
Alex Rose Molinar provided an RBI triple to right center field in the sixth while
Kaitlyn Laudick drove in Fabio during the bottom of the seventh on her RBI single.
Ashlee Lykins led Furman offensively with two hits in four plate appearances. Laudick, Molinar and Fabio each recorded one hit and one RBI. Morgan,
Emily Bartlett and
Chrissy Fleming all collected one hit.
Sellers finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored for the Mocs. Emily Coltharp contributed two hits while Liz Rodebaugh and Presley Williamson added one RBI.
Game 2 – Furman 4, Chattanooga 7
Kailey Snell went 3-for-4 and Sellers drove in two runs along with Olivia Lipari as Chattanooga rallied back in game two for a 7-4 win.
Alyssa Lavdis (1-0) received the win in relief pitching 5.2 innings and gave up one run (none earned) on three hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
Lauralee Scott (2-6) suffered the loss throwing five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
The Paladins jumped out to an early lead in game two courtesy of a three-run top of the first inning. Bartlett got the scoring started with her RBI double to left center field and
Riley Ludlam followed the next at-bat with a double to right center field. Molinar completed the scoring with her RBI ground out.
The Mocs answered with a run in the second but Furman responded by plating a single run in the top of the fifth to hold a 4-1 lead. Bartlett, who led off the inning with a hit by pitch, scored on a passed ball to extend the Paladins' advantage to three runs.
Chattanooga took the lead for good after compiling four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to go ahead 5-4. Sellers had a two RBI single and then scored on a Furman throwing error. Rodebaugh added an RBI single two batters later to put the Mocs in front. Chattanooga pushed its lead out to 7-4 in the sixth when Lipari plated two runs on her double to left center field.
Morgan had a team high two hits for the Paladins while Bartlett, Ludlam and Molinar recorded one RBI. Bartlett scored two runs and four different players had one hit.
Snell's three hits led all players and scored two runs for the Mocs. Lipari and Sellers registered two RBI while Rodebaugh and Williamson turned in one RBI each.
Up Next
Furman and Chattanooga conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Fans can follow the action on www.furmanpaladins.com via live stats. The game is being streamed via paid subscription on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Updates will also be posted on the Furman softball Twitter page (@FurmanSoftball).
