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Feb. 20, 2009

Box Score

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - On Friday afternoon at Big League Dreams Sports Park in Cathedral City, Calif., Lady Vol freshman designated player Shelby Burchell continued her torrid power output by blasting two home runs as part of a 2-for-3 effort at the plate as No. 9 Tennessee improved to 11-1 overall with a commanding 6-1 triumph over No. 15 Massachusetts (5-2).

Freshman hurler Cat Hosfield (8-1) continued to pitch extremely well from the circle, limiting a powerful UMass line-up, that had scored 14 runs just a couple of hours earlier in a win over N.C. State, to just one run on two hits in a complete-game with seven K's.

Junior catcher Tiffany Huff (1-for-2), freshman third baseman Jessica Spigner (1-for-2) and senior right fielder Danielle Pieroni also contributed single RBIs in the victory. Huff now owns a team-best 22 RBIs on the campaign.

UMass center fielder Carly Normandin christened the contest by barely beating out a slow infield single to short as Andrews's throw to first was ruled late by umpire Chris Martinez. Shortstop Whitney Williams dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt back to the circle, advancing the base runner 60 feet into scoring position. Designated player Whitney Mollica ripped a Hosfield offering to mid-range center but right at Kelly Grieve as the sophomore barely had to move to make the grab for an important second out. Following an intentional walk to place occupants at first and second and set up potential force plays, Hosfield caught Minutewomen left fielder Samantha Salato looking at strike three on the outside corner to end the threat.

Tennessee's Grieve and senior left fielder Lillian Hammond each made solid contact during their at-bats in the bottom of the first. Unfortunately, the duo hit line drives right at UMass defenders in center and right field, respectively. Huff stepped in and lifted a high fly to center as Normandin made her second play of the inning to conclude a scoreless opening frame.

After a quick one-two-three second inning for Hosfield, Spigner got the Lady Vol offense rolling in the bottom of the second by ripping the first pitch she saw from UMass hurler Bailey Sanders down the left field line and through a gap in the fencing for a ground rule double. Burchell came to the dish and blasted a two-run homer deep over the right field wall, her second big fly of the weekend and third of the season, to plate Spigner for a quick 2-0 advantage. On a 1-0 pitch junior second baseman Erinn Webb was struck by an offering from Sanders to painfully reach first base with still none retired. The Hemet, Calif., native immediately improved her position via a stolen base and moved to third on a groundout off the bat of sophomore first baseman Jen Lapicki. With one out Pieroni delivered a check-swing bouncer to deep short for an out that allowed Webb to cross the dish with Tennessee's third run of the inning. A groundout ended the assault, but not before UT had posted three tallies on the scoreboard via a pair of hits.

Having retired seven straight hitters entering the top of the fourth inning, Hosfield extended that streak to nine by forcing Mollica to groundout harmlessly to short and then striking out first baseman Sarah Reeves looking. Salato gained a measure of revenge for her first inning K by hammering a towering shot to left that kept carrying for a two-out solo homer, cutting UMass' deficit to 3-1.

Burchell answered right back in the bottom half of the fourth for the Big Orange. The Columbia, Tenn., native greeted Sanders rudely once again by driving a 1-0 pitch on a line drive over the wall in left, marking her second home run of the contest, for a 4-1 lead. That forced Minutewomen coach Elaine Sortino to make a change in the circle, bringing in freshman Sara Plourde to see her initial collegiate action. Webb kept the attack going by ripping a clean single into left field. With no one retired in the inning, Lapicki drove a towering shot down the left field line. The blast traveled approximately 280 feet but unfortunately curved foul. The inning came to a quick close following those dramatics as Lapicki, Pieroni and Andrews were eventually retired in order.

Hosfield settled back into her zone in the top of the fifth, allowing Grieve to get the Lady Vol offense going in the bottom half with a lead-off walk and a stolen base. Hammond followed by slapping a high bouncer off the hard-packed dirt in front of home plate for a single as Grieve raced into third with no problem. After Hammond stole second, Huff fell behind 0-2 in the count before showing patience in taking ball one. On the next pitch Huff blooped a clean single into short left center for an RBI single as Tennessee nabbed a 5-1 lead. Freshman pinch runner Holly Baker was summoned into the contest to run for Huff and promptly stole second, placing a pair in scoring position with still no one retired. Spigner drove a ball down the left field line that Salato managed to corral in foul territory. On the sacrifice fly Hammond raced home from 60 feet away as the count rose to 6-1.

UMass' half of the sixth went by quickly with Hosfield dealing from the circle. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native's one-two-three effort was highlighted by strikeouts of both Normandin and Mollica looking, giving her five punch outs for the game.

With one final chance to rally, UMass' Reeves and Salato opened the top of the seventh by becoming Hosfield's sixth and seventh strikeout victims. Catcher Jessica Serio bounced down to third as Spigner made the defensive play near the line to complete Tennessee's 11th victory of the 2009 season.

The ninth-rated Lady Vols will return to the diamond immediately on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. PT facing Hawai'i. Live stats will be available through utladyvols.com via Gametracker. Periodic voicemail updates will be recorded on the Lady Vol Hotline at 865-974-8700 (select box #6).