CHATTANOOGA,Tenn. (February 25, 2006) -The ETSU softball team (2-8) snapped its eight-game losing skid on Saturday, crushing A-Sun foe Belmont, 16-6, at the Panera Bread Challenge, hosted by UT-Chattanooga. The win came after a 5-3 loss to Miami (Ohio) earlier in the day.

Down 5-4, the Lady Bucs exploded for a six-run fourth inning, and tallied another six runs in the top of the seventh.  A trio of Lady Bucs recorded three hits, including Jessie Hackworth (Clinton, Tenn.), Stephanie Gaynord (Manassas, Va.), and Mary Catherine Vercoe (Signal Mountain, Tenn.).          

Hackworth and Vercoe each belted a double and a homerun.  The blast was the first of the season for Hackworth, and the second for Vercoe, while Janine Sprague (Hillsborough, N.C.) slammed her second triple of the year.

Courtney Jenkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) picked up her first win on the season to move to 1-3.  The senior gave up five hits and allowed only one run in six innings of work, striking out eight and didn't walk a single batter.

ETSU had answered each of Miami's charges all afternoon, but couldn't respond to a two-run homer by Bianca Paz in the top of the seventh, losing its eighth-straight contest. 

Miami used a two-run seventh inning to down the Lady Bucs, 5-3, in the day's opening game.  ETSU had answered each of Miami's charges all afternoon, but couldn't respond to a two-run homer by Bianca Paz in the top of the seventh.

The Redhawks opened the game with a 2-run, 4-hit first, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Natalie Savona.  ETSU answered with two runs in its half of the inning, with a Hackworth plating a pair of runs.

No one scored again until the top of fourth when an Alexis Javier triple knocked home a run, giving the Redhawks the 3-2 advantage.  The Lady Bucs also put a run across the in the fourth, with Sprague belting a single to score Laura Davies (Hixson, Tenn.).

The Redhawk offense peppered ETSU hurler Mary Catherine Vercoe (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) for 10 hits, while Vercoe struck out three and walked one in seven innings on the mound.  The rookie drops to 0-3 in the loss.  Melissa Kail got the win, allowing only six ETSU hits.

The Lady Bucs will take the field for the final day of competition at Chattanooga on Sunday, with games against Virginia (10 a.m.), and Bowling Green (12:15 p.m.) on the slate.