Phillips Tied For Third in Stolen Bases in Lady Raider Loss

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Senior Kip Phillips tied for third place for stolen bases in a career with 52 in Middle Tennessee's (15-10) 1-0, 13-12 defeats to Chattanooga (19-19) Wednesday at Frost Stadium.

In the first game Chattanooga scored just one run in the bottom of the first inning and it proved to be all the offense the Mocs needed. Teri Herbert opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Bryn Favor. After a single by Melissa Ramirez that advanced Herbert to third, Herbert scored on an RBI single by Jennifer Reed.

The loss is credited to senior hurler Stayc Preator who falls to 9-3 on the season. In the complete game she allowed four hits and struck out four.

Junior right fielder Katie Tompkins got her first hit of the year in the third inning. Middle Tennessee threatened to score in the top of the sixth with back-to-back singles by Muriel Ledbetter and Cortney Mitchell but couldn't send anyone around.

Chattanooga scored on a Middle Tennessee error to end a knotted game at twelve in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the second game. It was the first extra inning game of the season for the Lady Raiders.

In the first inning, Mitchell hit her fifth homerun of the year in two RBI bomb over the centerfield wall which sent home Ledbetter. Chattanooga added a run in the bottom of the second when Paige Cochrane hit an RBI double that sent home Reed.

After back-to-back walks from Ledbetter and Mitchell, in the third inning, Leah Grothause hit her first triple of the season in a two RBI effort. The Lady Raiders scored one more run when Erica Buhl hit an RBI single, which plated Grothause.

Chattanooga answered with two runs on three doubles by Melissa Rameriez, Lindsey Brown and Reed. Starting pitcher Tiffany Childress was pulled in favor of Ledbetter who began with a wild pitch that sent Reed to third. Ledbetter forced Leslie Barron to pop out to Mitchell at short stop and then got the final out of the inning when Paige Cochrane flied out to Jen Dorais.

The hits just kept on coming as Phillips opened the fourth inning with a single into left field. After Ledbetter walked and Mitchell singled to load the bases, Grothause got her third RBI of the game on a single to send in Phillips. Erica Buhl got her second double of the season in a two RBI effort, and Kristina Hieb, Dorais and Michelle Wilkes each picked up hits in the inning. Hieb and Dorais added RBIs to go with their singles. Phillips began the second go-around in the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field to send in Hieb, and Ledbetter drew her fourth walk of the game, which ties her for most walks in a single game, and then Mitchell got her third RBI of the game on a single to right field. Every batter in the inning, except Ledbetter who had two walks and Cherinka who struck out twice, got a hit in the inning.

Chattanooga pulled to within two runs, 12-10, in the bottom of the fourth with a seven run effort of their own. Then tied the game on back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the fifth.

Preator, who came into the game in the bottom of the fifth inning picks up the loss and falls to 9-4. She allowed two hits, no earned runs and struck out four.

Middle Tennessee takes a few days off and then will travel to UT-Martin on Wednesday April 2.

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