Hokie ClubCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Chattanooga scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to knock off the Virginia Tech softball team 5-4 Sunday afternoon to wrap up the Chattanooga Challenge.
After struggling mightily at the plate with runners in scoring position all weekend, the Hokies finally got back on track Sunday. In the third inning, freshman Kelsey Hensel picked up her first collegiate hit and eventually scored on Erin Ota’s sharp single to center field. Ota scored on Jessica Everhart’s bloop single to left-center field and she came around to score on Charisse Mariconda’s RBI single up the middle.
Tech put another run on the board in the top of the seventh to pad its lead. Richelle McGarva blooped a two-out single to the gap to plate pinch runner Marra Hvozdovic from second base.
Kenzie Roark (L, 1-2) was in control throughout, never letting the Mocs mount a serious rally until the seventh inning. Chattanooga loaded the bases with no one out, and Roark’s second error of the inning allowed the Mocs to score their first run. A soft single to center made it 4-2 and a hit batter plated the third run. With the bases still loaded and no one out, Michelle Fuzzard doubled to the gap to end it and give the Mocs an exciting win.
Roark went 6.0 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
At the plate, Tech collected eight hits, two from Jenna Rhodes and one apiece from Whitney Davis, Ota, Everhart, Mariconda, McGarva and Hensel.
Tech (2-3) will be back in action next weekend in the Atlanta area at the Georgia State First Pitch Classic in Panthersville, Ga. The Hokies will two games on Saturday and two on Sunday and the field includes Missouri, Georgia State and Evansville.