Athletic director David Blackburn thinks UTC softball issue settled

photo UTC athletic director David Blackburn speaks during a luncheon today to the Chattanooga Quarterback Club at Finley Stadium. This was Blackburn's first public appearance since being introduced nearly two weeks ago.
Arkansas-Oklahoma State Live Blog

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic director David Blackburn said Monday that he believes the incident involving the Lady Mocs softball team forfeiting a game is in the past.

Last Tuesday, UTC forfeited the second game of a scheduled doubleheader at Alabama-Birmingham when, reportedly, the players refused to take the field. The forfeit resulted in an automatic suspension of coach Frank Reed for two games, per NCAA rules, and the team's two four-year seniors, Sara Poteat and Kasey Tydingco subsequently left the team.

"It turned out to be a discipline issue within the team. There was the forfeiture of the game, and we've dealt with that internally with the coach and with the team," Blackburn said Monday after speaking to the Quarterback Club. "Obviously the [Southern Conference] tournament is starting Wednesday, so everything has been handled. We look forward to them lining up and moving forward."

UTC is the No. 6 seed in the tournament in Greensboro, N.C., and will take on No. 3 seed Georgia Southern on the first day of the double-elimination tournament.

"Hopefully everything's been finalized and they can regroup and have a good showing in the tournament," Blackburn said.

The SoCon announced its regular-season all-conference teams Monday, and second baseman Poteat joined sophomore third baseman Sarah Beth Roberts and freshman outfielder Sam Taylor on the second team. Taylor, from Gordon Lee High School, and catcher Anyssa Robles were named to the all-freshman squad.

Appalachian State's Allie Cashion was named player of the year, and Mountaineers coach Shae Wesley is coach of the year. Georgia Southern's Sarah Purvis was selected as the league's top pitcher, and UNC Greensboro's Lindsay Thomas is freshman of the year.

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