No. 20 NDSU tops UTC wrestlers

Monday, February 17, 2014

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was overwhelmed Sunday afternoon at the wrestling National Duals in Columbus, Ohio. The 19th-ranked Mocs lost 28-10 to No. 20 North Dakota State. UTC will wrestle again at 11 a.m. today, meeting Virginia Tech, Oregon State or Cornell. UTC's winners were Mike Pongracz (141 pounds), Alex Hudson (157) and Dawson Peck (285). Hudson got the Mocs' only bonus points with a major decision. Both of the Mocs' ranked wrestlers were defeated. No. 11 Nick Soto lost a 6-4 overtime match to Justin LaValle at 133 pounds, and 165-pound Corey Mock, ranked No. 9, lost 4-0 to third-ranked Steven Monk.

Softball

• Chattanooga State improved its 2014 softball record to 12-0 with four wins Saturday and Sunday at Marianna, Fla. Saturday, Shelby Willard pitched a three-hitter with seven strikeouts in a 4-2 defeat of Georgia Perimeter, when Courtney Crawford was 2-for-4 and Kelsey Thomas was 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI. Crawford and Katy Richardson each was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a 7-3 win over Georgia Military, when Hanna Manley threw a four-hitter and Elyse Ferguson was 2-for-2. Sunday, Willard threw a five-inning one-hitter, Ferguson hit a two-run homer and Bailee Williams was 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and four RBIs as Alabama Southern fell 11-1, and then Ferguson was 3-for-4 with a double, Sydney Spurgeon and Khadija Neely each drove in two runs and Sharlene Godoy pitched a four-hitter with one earned run in a 6-5 defeat of host Chipola. The Lady Tigers' home-opening doubleheader has been moved from Monday to Tuesday, beginning at 4 p.m.

• Angie Hughes pitched a no-hitter although allowing 10 walks as Lee University began Gulf South Conference softball play Saturday evening with a 3-1 win at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and then split a doubleheader Sunday, losing the first game 7-5 and winning the final game of the series 7-2. Ana Coscorrosa was 2-for-3 with two doubles and drove in all three runs Saturday for the Lady Flames, while Amanda Lynn was 2-for-2 and scored twice and Meg Macias was 2-for-3. Sunday, Lizzie Stevens homered in the first game, but Union built a 6-0 lead that was too much for the Lady Flames to overcome. In the second game, Macias had four hits and five RBIs to lead Lee to an easy victory. Freshman Annabeth Pruett picked up the pitching victory in a complete-game performance.

• A first-inning three-run homer by Ooltewah graduate Sara Kelley propelled the Carson-Newman softball team to a 4-1 victory in the first game of its home doubleheader Sunday against Belmont Abbey, and Caitlyn Lance from Ridgeland was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored in the Lady Eagles' 5-0 win in game two. Lance was 1-for-1 and walked twice and Kelley was 1-for-2 in game one.

Baseball

• Lee University split a pair of 4-1 Gulf South Conference baseball games Saturday at Union University, then the Flames picked up a 1-0 win Sunday. The teams had 10 hits apiece in the first game Saturday, but Union (3-2, 1-1) won it with a four-run fourth inning. Lee (7-2, 1-1) won with a three-run ninth in game two. Andres Nelo had the tying groundout in the fifth inning and a two-run single in the ninth, and Seth Gower was 2-for-4 and scored twice. On Sunday, pitcher Dustin Lawson held Union's batters in check and Josh Silver scored the games only run on an RBI groundout by Zacary Hawkins.

Swimming & Diving

• Along with Baylor's Dan Flack being the state high school boys' swimming coach of the year after his team's 150-point win in the state meet this past weekend in Nashville, McCallie's Phil Lesselroth was honored as the top diving coach. Counting individuals he coaches, Lesselroth had two top-10 girls' finishers, including champion Marissa Roth from Signal Mountain for the third year in a row, and three top-11 boys.

Lacrosse

• Sally Anne Greenwood scored five goals and Ellie Murphy and Katie Riddle each had three, with two assists and one, as the Sewanee women's lacrosse team opened its season with a 16-12 win Saturday at Piedmont. Crawford Horan made 10 saves in the win.