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Feb. 13, 2009

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. - Behind outstanding pitching from freshman right hander Cat Hosfield and continued offensive production off the bat of junior catcher Tiffany Huff, No. 11 Tennessee (5-1) opened its stay on Friday at the UCF Early Bird Tournament in Orlando, Fla., with a 3-0 victory over the North Florida Ospreys.

Hosfield improved to 4-1 on the season by firing a complete-game, three-hit shutout with a career-high nine strikeouts. Offensively, Huff delivered two RBIs, via a 1-for-2 effort at the plate with a double, to raise her season total for RBIs to 17 through only six contests. Freshman right fielder Shelby Burchell (1-for-2) was responsible for knocking in UT's other run on a fifth-inning single. Rookie designated player Dee Dee Fryer (1-for-2) also delivered the first double of her collegiate career and added a walk.

"We knew coming in that North Florida was a good team," Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. "This morning we found out that two of our players were too sick to get out of bed. It seemed like that tentativeness carried over to this ballgame. We won today because of Cat Hosfield's pitching and the Orange jerseys. I am very disappointed in all facets of our offensive play. When some people are down others have to step up in their place. Tiffany Huff was the only one to step up offensively."

Tennessee's Hosfield came out dealing in the top of the first, blowing through North Florida center fielder Ariana Godwin and second baseman Britanie Block in quick succession via strikeouts. UNF's Kara Rutenbar managed a slow-rolling single to short for the Ospreys' initial base runner of the contest. She was left stranded as UT's Ashley Andrews made a routine play on catcher Ashley Battaglia's grounder to short to complete the frame.

Sophomore center fielder Kelly Grieve got a Big Orange rally started opening the bottom half of the first as her bouncer to third was misplayed by UNF's Amanda Moseley for an error. The Lady Vol base runner swiped second and advanced to third on a groundout off the bat of senior left fielder Lillian Hammond. With one down in the inning, co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly called on Huff to drop a squeeze bunt. She performed her job perfectly as Grieve raced across the plate with the game's first run. Consecutive walks to freshman third baseman Jessica Spigner and Burchell loaded the bases for junior second baseman Erinn Webb, allowing the Hemet, Calif., native a chance to blow the game open early. The batter blasted a liner the other way but unfortunately right into Moseley's glove at third. The North Florida fielder turned quickly and tossed on to second to double off Spigner as UT's scoring chance amounted to just a 1-0 lead.

With the Lady Vol hurler dealing from the circle, the Big Orange offense attempted to get a two-out assault going in the bottom of the second. Andrews reached on an error by UNF's third baseman, her second of the game, and was joined on the basepaths via an infield single from Grieve. Unfortunately, a strikeout ended the inning with no scoreboard damage as the contest devolved into a pitcher's duel.

Neither squad threatened in the third as Hosfield nor North Florida hurler Devyn Findley allowed anything to develop from the circle. Tennessee's rookie pitcher had tallied five strikeouts through the opening three frames.

UT left two more on base in the bottom of the fourth, upping its total to six stranded in the contest. With the offense struggling to locate the big hit, Hosfield continued her stellar output from the circle into the top of the fifth by striking out the side. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native punched out UNF first baseman Caroline Torre, designated player Airen Payne and shortstop Allyson Bailey in order to establish a new career-high in K's with eight.

Searching for some insurance on the scoreboard with time beginning to run short, Hammond delivered a lead-off single to christen the bottom of the fifth. That set the stage for more heroics from Huff as the Saugus, Calif., product blasted a run-scoring double into the gap in left center and to the wall for a 2-0 advantage, marking Huff's team-best 17th RBI of the season. Following a UT fly out into foul territory down the right field line, Burchell delivered a base knock back up the middle, scoring Huff to make it 3-0.

In the top of the sixth, UNF's Godwin broke a streak of 15 consecutive retired hitters by Hosfield by lacing a sharp single just over the third base bag and down the left field line. The play might have amounted to two bases, but Hammond closed quickly from her defensive position in left to snag the ball and make a strong preventative throw to second. North Florida's Block followed by popping up into foul ground outside third as Spigner squeezed the orb to conclude the inning.

Fryer christened the bottom half of the sixth by ripping a shot into the left center field gap. Osprey left fielder Laura Williams raced over and managed to get the tip of her glove on the ball before it bounced away for a double. UT couldn't add to its advantage, however, as a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to third left Lady Vol freshman pinch runner Holly Baker standing in scoring position.

With North Florida down to its last chance, Hosfield retired the first two batters she faced in the top of the seventh before Torre ripped a 2-2 pitch back up the middle for a single. Payne followed by drawing a walk to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Bailey stepped in facing a golden opportunity with runners on first and second but bounced right back to the circle. Hosfield made the play to first to secure Tennessee's fifth win of the season.

The Big Orange will return to action at the UCF Early Bird Tournament at approximately 1 p.m. ET on Friday in a match-up against UT-Arlington. Live stats are expected to be available through utladyvols.com via Gametracker while periodic voicemail updates are being recorded on the Lady Vol Hotline at 865-974-8700 (select box #6).