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Feb. 14, 2009

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. - Facing a two-run deficit venturing into the sixth, No. 11 Tennessee (8-1) got clutch hits down the stretch to force extra innings and solid defensive play to rally past No. 25 Kansas by a 4-2 count in eight frames on Saturday night at the UCF Early Bird Tournament in Orlando, Fla. The battle-tested Jayhawks entered the contest with wins last weekend over national powers Arizona and Northwestern.

Lady Vol sophomore first baseman Jen Lapicki (2-for-3, two RBIs, run scored) was the big offensive story in the contest after blasting her first homer of the year in the sixth and lacing a game-tying single in the seventh despite facing a 0-2 count with two outs. Sophomore center fielder Kelly Grieve continued her outstanding play at the UCF event with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, a run scored and a steal. Senior left fielder Lillian Hammond and junior catcher Tiffany Huff each contributed RBIs during the decisive two-tally, eighth-inning assault. Freshman shortstop Ashley Andrews played flawless defense while adding a single and just missing out on a potential run-scoring triple in the seventh when it was called foul.

In the circle the game saw a bit of a revolving door as freshman Cat Hosfield (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 K) started, was relieved by sophomore Ashton Ward (3.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 K), and later re-entered in the seventh to improve her record to 6-1 on the campaign. Ward even came to the plate as a hitter in the seventh, laced a clutch two-out double down the left field line and eventually scored the tying run on Lapicki's base knock.

Tennessee is now a perfect 3-0 during 2009 in extra-inning contests, having downed BYU (4-0) in 10 frames last weekend in St. George, Utah, and UCF (1-0) in eight innings during Saturday's early game in Orlando, Fla.

"This was a great win for our young team after being down 2-0 to Kansas' Val George," Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. "I think she's a fantastic pitcher. Our team fought, got key hits and played great defense at the end of the game. We are especially proud of Ashton Ward who came in and gave us three good innings from the circle and also got a clutch two-out hit in the seventh to start the rally to tie the game. Jen Lapicki looked like the player of old, hitting a mammoth homer and getting a big hit to drive in Ward with the tying run. Kelly Grieve continues her torrid pace and just played fantastic softball. This was a whole team win, everybody contributed."

Each offense managed a lone single during the opening inning but couldn't get a sustained rally going against either UT's Hosfield or Kansas' Val George. Grieve's single through the left side of the infield marked her sixth base hit of the weekend through four contests.

The Jayhawks managed a two-out base knock in the bottom of the second as catcher Brittany Hile ripped a pitch into short left field. KU second baseman Sara Ramirez stepped into the box and got ahead in the count at 2-1 before swinging and missing at strike two. On the offering Hile took off for second on a steal attempt and was gunned down by Huff to complete the frame with the match-up still scoreless.

After walking Kansas designated player Elle Pottorf to open the bottom of the fourth, Tennessee co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly summoned Ward in from the bullpen in relief. Third baseman Val Chapple immediately dropped a sacrifice bunt out in front of the dish to advance pinch runner Alicia Irwin into scoring position with one down. The 6-0 right hander got ahead of KU first baseman Amanda Jobe but was called for an illegal pitch, moving the base occupant to third. Jobe eventually grounded out to Lapicki at first to get UT within one out of leaving the frame with no damage. Liz Kocon stepped in the box and drove a Ward offering to deep right. Freshman Shelby Burchell raced back toward the warning track and attempted to catch the ball backhanded while leaping, but the ball tipped off the edge of her glove for a run-scoring double. On a Hile base hit a bad throw by the UT infield during a run-down play between first and second allowed Kocon to race around from second for a 2-0 Jayhawk lead.

Meanwhile Kansas' George was in charge from the circle roaring through the Lady Vol line-up one-two-three in the top of the fifth via a strikeout and a pair of groundouts.

The Jayhawks offense threatened again in the bottom of the fifth as a double down the right field line and a Ward wild pitch allowed KU center fielder Dougie McCaulley to reach third with two outs. Pottorf got ahead in the count 3-0 before UT's pitcher battled back to coerce a ground ball to Andrews at short to leave the runner stranded.

With time beginning to run short, Lapicki greeted a 0-1 offering from George by blasting it high and deep over the left field wall for her first homer of the campaign, cutting the deficit to 2-1. That shot seemed to ignite the Lady Vol offense as Grieve and Andrews followed with consecutive singles, before Hammond sacrificed the runners up 60 feet to second and third with just one down. Unfortunately, Huff bounced out to first, as Jobe corralled the ball and made the tag, and freshman Jessica Spigner just missed a ball, hitting a towering fly out to left to retire the side.

Kansas' offense tried to secure some insurance in the bottom of the sixth as a Chapple single, a sac bunt and another UT error placed runners at the corners with one out. Ward quickly got ahead of Hile 0-2 before the hitter looked at the first ball out of the strike zone. During the at-bat Kocon, who was occupying first, was called out for leaving the base early. Hile eventually grounded out harmlessly to Lapicki at first to end the scoring opportunity with Kansas still leading 2-1.

Down to the last chance to either tie the game or win in regulation, Ward was granted the opportunity to hit in an attempt to help her own cause. She came through in the clutch by ripping a double down the left field line for her first collegiate hit. That brought Lapicki up in the big spot, already owning a home run in the match-up. On a 0-1 pitch, the Oldwick, N.J., native ripped a ball deep down the left field line but foul. On the next George pitch with UT down to its last strike, Lapicki blooped a single over the second baseman and into short right as Ward was waved around to score a stunning tying run. Andrews stepped into the box and appeared to have laced a triple over the third base bag and down into the corner to plate Lapicki, but the home plate umpire made a late ruling to call the ball foul. A strikeout eventually ended the top of the seventh with the score deadlocked at 2-2.

Ramirez greeted new hurler Cat Hosfield with a sharp single into right leading off the bottom of the seventh. Stanton sacrificed the runner to second on a bunt, bringing Stevie Crisosto to the plate with one down. The coaching staff asked for the intentional walk to be issued setting up the force play at three bases. Andrews corralled a sharp grounded from McCaulley at short, turned and cut down the lead runner at third with a strong throw to Spigner at the bag. Pottorf dropped a bouncer to short as Andrews coolly made the throw across to first ending the inning and forcing UT into extras for the second time on Saturday.

The international tiebreaker rule arrived to start the eighth placing the speedy Andrews on second. Grieve bunted for a single, but was called back to the plate after the umps said the bat hit the ball twice. So the Asheville, N.C., native bunted again and beat the throw in almost an exact replay of her previous effort placing runners at the corners. In a huge spot in the contest, Hammond ripped a pitch from George into right, bringing Andrews across for Tennessee's first lead of the game at 3-2. Grieve and Hammond eventually swiped a base apiece allowing Huff the chance to drive a sacrifice fly to left, plating Grieve to make it 4-2.

Kansas pinch runner Kolby Fesmire opened the bottom of the eighth at second and advanced to third on a one out grounder off the bat of Jobe. Kocon worked to 1-1 against Hosfield before just missing a base knock with a shot down the left field line that landed on the foul side of the chalk. The next time Kocon's bat touched the ball her bouncer traveled straight to Spigner at third and she tossed across the diamond to secure a huge comeback win.

The Big Orange completes its stay at the UCF Early Bird Tournament on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. ET with a match-up against Villanova. 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).