DECATUR, Ala. (Softball) – Florida Tech received an all-around solid performance from junior transfer Lauren Cole in its 4-3 win over West Georgia Saturday afternoon at the Wilson-Morgan Softball Complex.

Cole, a product of Santa Clara, Calif., gave the Panthers (8-6) seven solid innings in the circle to earn her first Panther win. In the complete-game effort, she surrendered seven hits and three unearned runs, while striking out two and not walking a single batter. She matched her strong effort on the rubber by going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored.    

“We made things happen by putting the ball in play and Lauren pitched phenomenally,” Tech head coach Val Silvestrini said. “They got a few hits, which were mostly infield hits, but Lauren hit a bomb and pitched well. We were confident that we were going to win this game because she gave us the confidence. When you have a pitcher with a presence in the circle that displays confidence, the team is going to come through with the hits.”

For the first time in the UAH Charger Chillout, the Panthers were the ones to score first as Emily Densem launched a sacrifice fly in the second inning to bring in Amanda Bueno. In the following inning, Sarah Oram kicked off what turned out to be a two-run frame with a base hit through the right side. She moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Natalie Beach. With Oram in scoring position, Cole took the second pitch she saw to the left-center field gap for an RBI double. Lani Ankiel then scored Cole on a single to up the score to 3-0.

Cole would help herself out in the fifth inning. Standing in the batter’s box with two outs, she smashed a solo home run over the left-center field fence for her second home run of the season. West Georgia, however, answered in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Meagan Sitton to cut its deficit to 4-1.

The Wolves (6-2) made things interesting by capitalizing on a Panther throwing error in the seventh inning, but Cole sealed the win by inducing a fly out to end the game.

In the final day of the Charger Chillout on Sunday, the Crimson and Gray will play Arkansas Tech at 10 a.m. EST and North Alabama at 12 p.m. EST.