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Mathis Powers Furman Past Chattanooga In Regular Season Finale 8-5
May 7, 2006
Greenville, S.C. - Senior Jessica Mathis went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a game saving catch to lead Furman to an 8-5 victory over Chattanooga in the regular season finale for both softball teams Sunday afternoon at Pepsi Stadium in Greenville, S.C.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Toni Hutchison came to the plate respresenting the potential go ahead run for the Lady Mocs. Hutchison belted a fly ball to deep left field, but Mathis reached to the top of the wall to make the catch and secure the win.
The Snellville, Ga., native helped give the Lady Paladins the lead just two innings earlier. Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth, Furman used a hit batter and two singles to load the bases with one out. Mathis followed with a three-run triple to right-center to clear the bases and give Furman a 7-5 advantage. A fielding error with two outs allowed Furman to add an insurance run and up its lead to 8-5.
Furman bolted to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on the strength of RBI singles from Amber Nelsen and Stephanie Cushing and a two-run double off of the left field wall by Abby Robertson.
Chattanooga pulled even in the top of the third. Hutchison delivered a two-out, three-run double to cap the four run rally. The Lady Mocs took their first lead of the day in the top of the fifth on an unearned run. Ashley Cuticchia was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and error. After advancing to third on a groundout, Cuticchia scored on Alyssa Edwards grounder to second base to give Chattanooga a 5-4 lead.
A Cuticchia single, Ashleigh Bull walk and Edwards single loaded the bases in the seventh before Mathis, playing her last home game at Pepsi Stadium, made the game-winning catch.
Sophomore Blake Murray (6-16) worked a complete game to earn the victory for the Lady Paladins. Murray allowed five runs, all unearned, on six hits while striking out five batters.
Robertson joined Mathis in pacing the Lady Paladin offense going 3-for-4 with two RBI while Amber Kiser went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.
Ashley Frizzell (20-19) suffered the loss for the Lady Mocs giving up three earned runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings of work. Jeannie Cochran and Edwards each collected two hits for Chattanooga.
The start of the game was dlayed three hours due to rain. The Furman victory snapped a 23-game losing streak to the Lady Mocs.
Furman, 26-35 overall and 7-14 in Southern Conference play, open play in the 2006 SoCon Tournament as the number seven seed, The Lady Paladins face second-seeded Charleston at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Chattanooga (36-33, 11-10 SoCon) open tournament play versus fifth-seeded Appalachian State at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.
