Late run deciding factor in Wednesday’s midweek tilt

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – After shutting Chattanooga (10-21) out through five innings, a late sixth inning run proved the deciding factor as Auburn softball (25-14) fell to the Mocs, 1-0, at Frost Stadium on Wednesday.
 
The Mocs held Auburn to a pair of singles from Kaylee Horton and Tyler King. King extended her hit streak to five straight games with her single  in the sixth inning.
 
With two scoreless innings in the books, Auburn found itself in a bit of trouble after back-to-back, one-out singles, forcing the Tigers to go to the bullpen to bring KK Dismukes into the game. After forcing a foul out in right field, a walk loaded the bases for Chattanooga. King fielded a ball in shallow left center to retire the side and leave the bags loaded.
 
The Mocs led off the fourth with a double to right field, but again Dismukes shut the door as she retired the next three batters to leave the runner stranded at third.
 
Dismukes kept Chattanooga scoreless until the fifth inning as the Mocs scratched across a run. After moving a runner into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, a two-out single from Hayleigh Weissenbach put Chattanooga in front.
 
The Tigers had a chance to even things up in the top of the sixth. Makenna Dowell got on board with a hit by pitch and was lifted for pinch runner Carlee McCondichie. King knocked a single to left field to move the tying run into scoring position, but Chattanooga responded with back-to-back outs to keep Auburn scoreless. 
 
Alyssa Rivera almost ended the game with one swing as she led off the seventh with a ball driven into deep center that was caught at the warning track. Justus Perry reached with a two-out hit by pitch to once again get the tying run on base, but Chattanooga threw out pinch runner Paige Geraghty at second on a caught stealing attempt to win the game.
 
Dismukes tossed 3.2 innings in relief, giving up the lone run off three hits and a walk. She was tagged with the loss and fell to 3-2 on the season. Lexie Handley started Wednesday's contest, tossing 2.1 total innings. Handley gave up a walk and three hits while striking out a pair.
 
ON DECK
The Tigers return to Southeastern Conference play as they trek to Oxford, Miss., for a three-game series against Ole Miss. The series begins on Friday with a 5 p.m. CT first pitch on the SEC Network.