Courtesy: Jeff Hurndon
Junior Nikki Waters hit her sixth career home run for Chattanooga putting it on top 6-0 in the fifth.
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Elon at Chattanooga
April 17, 2010 |
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Chattanooga, Tenn. (Frost Stadium)
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| Team |
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7 |
R |
H |
E |
| ELON (30-12, 13-5) |
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UTC (33-12, 13-2)
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6 |
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X |
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7 |
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Game Notes:
-Junior Nikki Waters threw her second on-hit complete game against Elon, her last one was vs. Western Carolina.
-Waters hit her sixth home run of the season capping off the six-run fifth by the Lady Mocs. It was the fifth time, while she toed the rubber in a came.
-Junior Lyndsey Stiles stole her 21st on the season and career 49th.
-Senior Tia Blosser registered a key two-RBI single into right field for her 32nd RBI on the season. It was the ninth multi-hit game for Blosser, while she had her team-leading 11th multi-RBI game
-Freshman Kasey Tydingco broke a pitching duel between Waters and O'Shea with a triple down the right field line.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team came out firing using a six-run fifth inning to knock off Elon. Junior Nikki Waters (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) held the Phoenix hitters off balance all game throwing a complete game one hitter.
Waters also provided some insure for the Lady Mocs hitting a clutch three-run home run that gave the home team a 6-0 lead in the fifth. Freshman Kasey Tydingco (Fairfield, Calif.) was started the rally in the inning with a triple down the right field line.
"Elon is a really good offensive team," said head coach Frank Reed. "But you see what you can do with good pitching on an offensive team. Nikki (Waters) held them to one hit, shut down the big hitters and hit her spots. Our offense was dominant today because the pitchers for Elon, who hit their spots yesterday couldn't hit the same ones today."
The victory was important for Chattanooga (33-12, 13-2 SoCon) as they lead Elon (30-12, 13-5 SoCon) by three games in the loss column in the Southern Conference standings. Chattanooga has three more series remaining at Appalachian State, at UNC Greensboro and home to College of Charleston, while Elon host Samford and travels to Georgia Southern before a bye week.
In the circle, Waters continued her dominance in the SoCon notching her fifth victory in conference and 10th overall, while striking out three. The only blemish came on a leadoff single to start the seventh.
"My curve and screwball was working well today because they were jamming Elon," said Waters. "My changeup was working well today, too."
Leading off the contest for Chattanooga was junior Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.) drawing a walk and then senior Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled through the left side to put a runner in scoring position with one down, but the squad was unable to take the early lead.
It took four innings of one-hit ball with Blosser registering the only single for both teams, but the Lady Mocs would bat around the order in the fifth. A leadoff single to center by junior Jessica Traxler (Chino Hills, Calif.), who was pinch run for by sophomore Kristin Holloway (Chickamauga, Ga.), put pressure on the Phoenix.
With an out that moved Holloway to second, freshman Kasey Tydingco (Fairfield, Calif.) came through with a triple down the right field line as she eluded the tag by third baseman Caitlin McGowan scoring the first run of the contest. Stiles beat out an infield single, then stole second on the next pitch putting two runners in scoring position.
A two-RBI single to right by Blosser, who reached second on a throwing error by the right fielder, put Chattanooga on top 3-0.
After an intentional walk with first base open to junior Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.), Waters made Elon pay with a three-run homer that curled around the left field foul pole. It was the sixth home run of the season for the Soddy Daisy, Tenn., native.
"Hitting the homerun felt good," said Waters. "She threw me a pitch near the middle-inside part of the plate that appeared to be a mistake. I didn't see how close it was to the foul-pole though. I just saw it go up when I hit it and I thought it was fair."
Chattanooga could have added another in the sixth after a leadoff walk to Traxler and infield single by Stiles, but they would end up being stranded.
Tomeka Watson broke up the no-hit bid by Waters in the seventh with a leadoff single up the middle as the blooper fell just behind second. The Phoenix would then draw a walk, but two fly outs put a quick end to the rally. Elon would load the bases as a 3-2 pitch from Waters fell low, but the hurler got the final out of the contest on a fly ball to junior Lauren Flores (Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga.) in left.
The Lady Mocs are back in action next weekend traveling to Appalachian State for a three-game series beginning on Saturday. A doubleheader between the two squads begins at 1 p.m., while the finale on Sunday has a first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
