Rockets Sweep Day One of Chattanooga Challenge

Friday, February 15

Chattanooga, Tenn.

11:00 A.M.

University of Toledo

2-4

Dayton

3-3

Dayton

Toledo

Senior catcher Kaitlyn Bergman hit a grand slam in Toledo's 4-3 win over Kennesaw State.

Photo by: Katherine Jamtgaard

2/15/2019 10:05:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Chattanooga, Tenn. - Toledo softball swept day one of the UT Chattanooga Challenge today, earning hard-fought wins against Dayton and Kennesaw State. Toledo took down the Flyers, 6-5, in the morning contest then came back for a afternoon 4-3 stunner over the Owls. In that contest, sophomore pitcher Maggie McGurk recorded her first career win for UT and senior catcher Kaitlyn Bergman hit the Rockets' second grand slam of the season in a dramatic comeback victory.

Game 1
Game one saw sophomore pitcher Erin Hunt earn her second win of the season and featured impressive batwork from sophomore outfielder Bekah Yenrick. Hunt struckout nine and walked three through seven innings. Yenrick drove in three runs and earned a walk in two at-bats.

Game one of the day was a shootout that came down to the wire. Dayton opened scoring in the second when Mallory Kimmell popped a single into right field that allowed Hannah Heraty to score from second.
UT responded with a big third inning. The Rockets loaded the bases following a double from Choate, a walk from senior Katie Cozy and a walk from Bergman. Sophomore Brittney Davis was hit by a pitch which brought one in, then Yenrick hit a sac fly that allowed freshman Brianna Robeson (who pinch ran for Cozy) to score. Two back-to-back passed balls brought in Bergman, and a single from sophomore Raelyn Nyren scored Davis for a total of four runs in the third.
The Flyers came back in the top of the fourth and were able to bring in one runner but despite the effort, UT still maintained a 4-2 lead.
UT loaded the bases again in the fourth and earned it's fifth run of the day thanks to Yenrick working the pitcher to four balls to bring in Cozy.
Things stayed quiet for a while until the bottom of the sixth when Yenrick popped up another sac fly that allowed Choate to score, making it 6-2.
Dayton staged a late-game rally in the seventh that ultimately fell short. UD was able to load the bases off two HBP and a single, then popped in three-straight runs before Hunt could finally get the final strikeout to seal the victory.

DAYTON (3-3) -VS- TOLEDO (2-4)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Dayton	0	1	0	1	0	0	3	5	6	1
Toledo	0	0	4	1	0	1	X	6	7	1

W: Hunt, Erin (2-0) L: GILLIAM, Jessica (1-2)

Game 2
The Midnight Blue and Gold's second game of the day was a come-from-behind victory. UT had a slow start and got behind early but fought back in the fifth to clinch the win right before heavy rain ended the day two frames early.

Senior Heather Webb got nod to start the game
Neither Kennesaw State nor Toledo was able to get traction going in the opening frames, with groundouts and pop flies plentiful from both sides.
KSU got hot in the third. The inning opened with a walk but that was quickly corrected as the runner was caught stealing. The next batter grounded out but Lexi Solorzano came in big for her side, hitting a homer to put KSU up 1-0.
Jessie Mullen homered in the next at-bat to make things 2-0, and a five-pitch walk immediately after would end Webb's day and bring up McGurk. McGurk had a wild pitch and gave up a double but steadied early and blanked KSU for the rest of the game.
Toledo's comeback started in the fifth with a single from sophomore Kylie Norwood that was followed by another single and walk to load the bases.
With one out and the memory of last week's game-winning grand slam against Saint Louis from Norwood still fresh in everyone's mind, Bergman stepped up to bat. The catcher worked to a 1-2 count before she let it rip and brought in all three runners off a high and deep ball to centerfield.
UT would deal away KSU's next three batters in order to get to an official game just as the skies opened and the game was called.