AUBURN, Ala. – The Toledo softball team lost a pair of games on Friday at the Jane B. Moore Memorial Tournament at Auburn. The Rockets (3-9) lost a close game 5-4 to Chattanooga in the opening game followed by a 6-1 loss to host No. 20 Auburn.

In the opening game, Chattanooga took a one-run lead in the first off a sacrifice fly. Senior Dayna Denner doubled to get the Rockets on base with no outs at the top of the third. Two batters later, senior Aubrey Reed hit an RBI double to tie the game 1-1 with one out. The Rockets then took a 2-1 lead two batters later when junior Riley Mohr hit an RBI single. Each team scored in the fifth inning, and then an RBI sacrifice fly by freshman Kendra VanderLugt gave the Rockets a 4-2 lead in the sixth. The Mocs answered with a leadoff home run followed by an RBI double to tie the game 4-4 with no outs in the sixth, and ended the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

"The Chattanooga game was just disappointing," head coach Joe Abraham said. "We failed to hit in the clutch over and over and made many of the same defensive mistakes that have cost us all season. We left 11 on base and failed to blow the game open several times when we had a chance.  We simply need some of our hitters to start hitting."

The Rockets ended the day vs. tournament host No. 20 Auburn. The game was scoreless until freshman Sidney Griffith crossed home plate for the go-ahead run off a throwing error by the catcher with two outs in the first. The Tigers came back to tie the game, 1-1,  in the fifth on an RBI bunt, then took a five-run lead off a three-run triple, followed by two RBI singles with one out. Neither team scored in the final two innings, making the final score 6-1.

"We played probably our best game if the year against Auburn," Abraham said. "Annika Johnson pitched a fantastic game and our defense was excellent other than one misplay. Their pitching is just something we're not used to seeing, but they had to make three changes and went through their whole staff. If we play our other opponents like we did Auburn we'll pick up a lot more wins."

Toledo will have another go with Chattanooga and No. 20 Auburn tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. respectively.

GAME 1 – Chattanooga 5, Toledo 4

• Chattanooga's Kaili Phillips hit a sacrifice fly out to right field to drive in the Mocs' first run with one out in the first, putting the score at 1-0.
• Aubrey Reed doubled to center field to drive in the Rockets' first run and tie the game 1-1 with one out in the third.
• That same inning, Riley Mohr singled to right field and Reed scored from third base to give the Rockets a 2-1 lead.
• Kendra VanderLugt hit an RBI sacrifice fly to keep the Rockets up 3-1 in the fifth with two outs.
• Chattanooga's Emily Coltharp hit an RBI single in the fifth to put her team within one, 3-2.
• Jenna Kroll hit an RBI single to extend the Rockets' lead 4-2 in the sixth.
• Phillips hit a leadoff home run for Chattanooga in the sixth, and Acelynn Sellers hit an RBI double to tie the game 4-4 with no outs in the sixth.
• An RBI single from Sellers scored the final run for the Mocs in the seventh, 5-4.

GAME 2 – No. 20 Auburn 6, Toledo 1

• With Sidney Griffith at third and Sydney McKeever on first, McKeever stole second and advanced to third after Griffith reached home on a throwing error from the Auburn catcher to take give the Rockets' a 1-0 lead with two outs in the first.
• Auburn's Sydney Cox laid down an RBI bunt to bring around the tying run in the fifth. The next batter Nelia Peralta hit a triple to bring around three batters. Bri Ellis hit an RBI single followed by Jessie Blaine with an RBI single to take the lead 6-1, which would hold as the final score.