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Feb. 14, 2009

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. - In front of a rowdy crowd on Saturday evening at the UCF Early Bird Tournament in Orlando, Fla., No. 11 Tennessee fought off a tough challenge from home-standing UCF, improving to 7-1 on the early season with a 1-0, eight-inning victory. UT is now a perfect 2-0 in extra frames in 2009 after downing BYU last weekend in St. George, Utah, 4-0 in 10 innings.

Lady Vol freshman right hander Cat Hosfield earned her fifth win of the campaign in the circle by tossing five no-hit innings with two K's in relief of starter Ashton Ward (3.0 IP, 1 H). Offensively, sophomore center fielder Kelly Grieve posted a pair of singles in three at-bats, while freshman shortstop Ashley Andrews singled and laced the groundball that was misplayed allowing UT to score the eventual game-winning run in the eighth.

Through the opening frame and a half Ward and UCF hurler Ashleigh Cole battled with only Tennessee's Grieve reaching base in the first after beating out an infield single to lead-off the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Knight third baseman Hillary Barrow started the frame by blooping a ball to center that just eluded the reach of a diving Grieve. The ball rolled about 10 feet past the fielder allowing the runner to race easily into scoring position. Center fielder Vanessa Perez followed with a towering blast into left center that threatened to break the scoreless deadlock. Senior Lillian Hammond covered a ton of ground from her defensive position in left and made a run-saving "web gem" catch on the dead sprint near the warning track. The UCF runner obviously expected the ball to drop and was already rounding third on the play, allowing Hammond the chance to toss to junior Erinn Webb covering the bag at second for a huge double play. A routine groundout back to the circle from UCF second baseman Natalie Land ended what was once a promising inning for the Knights.

Defense continued to rule as the Knights made several outstanding plays in the field during the top of the fourth. UCF's Tiffany Lane made two solid plays at short to barely cut down Grieve and junior Tiffany Huff at first, while Barrow snagged a sharp liner at third off the bat of Hammond as part of a one-two-three inning.

Hosfield entered the game in relief of Ward starting the bottom of the fourth. Despite permitting a walk and a long fly to deep left, the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native got out of the inning with no damage as the score remained 0-0.

Tennessee freshman right fielder Shelby Burchell battled Cole for a lead-off walk to open the fifth frame and eventually advanced into scoring position via a sacrifice bunt off the bat of rookie third baseman Jessica Spigner. Unfortunately a fly out to center and a strikeout left the Big Orange runner stranded.

With zeroes still ruling on the scoreboard into the sixth, Andrews beat out an infield single to start the top half and eventually advanced up 60 feet to second. The threat amounted to nothing, however, as a groundout and a strikeout again left the runner stranded.

UCF failed to make anything of a two-out walk in the bottom of the sixth as Hosfield struck out UCF shortstop Tiffany Lane to conclude the inning.

In the top of the seventh with two retired, Spigner dropped a slow roller into the hole at short. UCF's Lane corralled the ball, but her throw to first was low for an error allowing the freshman to reach. Cole immediately unleashed a wild pitch that traveled over catcher Lindsay Dean's head and to the backstop allowing the runner to cruise easily into scoring position. Webb stepped in the batter's box and lifted a fly to left center, but it held up long enough that Abby McClain drifted over from her defensive outpost to make the inning-ending play.

With one last opportunity for the Knights to end the contest during regulation, Hosfield got UCF first baseman Breanne Javier to pop-up a 2-2 offering to Webb at second for the initial retirement of the bottom of the seventh. Barrow followed with a fly out to Grieve in center and Perez laced one into Hammond's glove in left as the teams moved on to extra frames. That brought out the international tiebreaker rule where a runner would be placed on second to start each half-inning.

Opening the eighth with Webb occupying second, Tennessee co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly got Lapicki to advance the runner up 60 feet to third via a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout pushed UT dangerously close to failing to score in their half of the inning, Andrews tapped a slow roller to short. The Tumwater, Wash., native's speed up the baseline forced UCF's Lane to rush her throw as her toss came in low to first allowing Webb to score for a vital 1-0 lead. Grieve followed with a clean single through the left side that set Andrews in motion from second base. The speedster rounded third and appeared to slide under a tag at the dish, but the home plate umpire rang her up as the third out.

A sacrifice bunt from UCF second baseman Natalie Land advanced Perez to third as the Knights tried to answer on the scoreboard and extend things to the ninth. Cole stepped in with one retired and ripped a ground ball to short. Andrews fielded it cleanly and threw home just in time to nab Perez at the plate. Dean followed with a fly ball to center that Grieve caught to end Tennessee's second extra-inning contest of the early season.

The Big Orange returns to action versus Kansas on Saturday night at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET at the UCF Early Bird Tournament. 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).