By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Despite a strong start that featured a leadoff home run, the Tennessee Tech softball team was upended 6-4 at UT Chattanooga (24-8) in Tuesday's non-conference battle.
Senior Angi Sakamoto got the Golden Eagles (19-16, 6-4) started off on the right foot, drilling a home run to lead off the contest, the Waipahu, Hawaii native's sixth round tripper of the season to take stranglehold of second place on the club.
The knock was one of two in the game for Sakamoto, wrapping up a perfect day at the dish that also featured a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Sophomore Danielle Liberatore (11-6) ran with the early advantage, retiring nine of the first 11 Mocs that came to the plate, striking out seven in the process to secure the 1-0 edge through three frames of action.
In the bottom of the fourth, the 5-foot-10 southpaw blinked, leading to a big inning for UTC. Liberatore began the frame in promising fashion after whiffing senior Sarah Beth Roberts to start things off, but proceeded to walk senior Nicole Osterman and sophomore Jesslyn Stockard to put runners on first and second with one down.
The stage was set for junior Criket Blanco, who belted a three-run home run over the center field wall to give the Mocs a 3-1 lead.
Chattanooga went on to pad its advantage with two more in the fifth behind a Nicole Osterman two-run round tripper, and one more in the sixth thanks to a Sam Taylor RBI single to extend the Moc margin to 6-1.
It wouldn't be a TTU softball game if the Golden Eagles didn't make things interesting in the seventh, and that's exactly what they did. The club's never say die attitude was presented once again after junior Cortney Fry singled and Angi Sakamoto walked with one out to put runners on first and second.
Junior Madison Taylor kept the line moving with a two-run single that plated both Fry and Sakamoto, while Taylor herself advanced to second on an error in right. One batter later with Tech now down 6-3, the Mt. Juliet, Tenn. native came around to score on a second consecutive Moc defensive miscue on a ball hit by junior Cortney Fry that chopped the deficit to 6-4.
Ultimately the rally was cut short after Moc senior hurler Taylor Deason was able to retire the next two Golden Eagles to preserve the Chattanooga victory.
Freshman Cori Jennings (11-4) tallied the win behind four strong innings that featured four hits, a walk, two strikeouts, and of course the Sakamoto big fly. Despite a solid effort from Liberatore, who notched double-digit punch outs for the fifth time this season with 10 more on Tuesday, the Peotone, Ill. native was saddled with the loss that broke a string of eight-straight decisions in the win column.
Tech will now turn its attention back to OVC play, traveling to Eastern Illinois for a doubleheader on Friday, before heading to SIUE for a twin bill on Saturday. Friday's action kicks off at 1 p.m. CT.
