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Feb. 20, 2009

Box Score

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - A gutsy squeeze play in the bottom of the seventh inning off the bat of senior left fielder Lillian Hammond scored freshman shortstop Ashley Andrews from third with the winning run as No. 9 Tennessee improved to 12-1 on the season and picked up its 10th straight win with a hard-fought, 3-2 win over Hawai'i on Saturday afternoon at the Cathedral City Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.

Freshman right fielder Shelby Burchell provided the big blow offensively for the Lady Vols with a two-run single in the opening inning, giving her 14 RBIs on the year. Andrews delivered a 2-for-3 effort at the dish while plating the winning tally. Junior first baseman Tiffany Huff also posted a pair of hits, including her team-best fourth double of the season. Hammond recorded an RBI on the successful squeeze in the bottom of the seventh.

In the circle sophomore Ashton Ward started the game and worked 2.2 frames, giving up two hits and walking two before giving way to freshman Cat Hosfield in relief. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native permitted a pair of earned runs on three hits while striking out six in 4.1 frames to earn her ninth win of 2009.

"We came out fired up and ready to beat UMass earlier today," Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. "They entered the game No. 15 in the country and having just beat N.C. State, 14-0. I think we left that effort on the field a little entering our late game with Hawai'i and started out slow against a good hitting team. It's a credit to our players that they were able to win this game after facing adversity in the late innings. We thought all our players contributed to both wins. The squeeze in the seventh inning with Lillian Hammond and Ashley Andrews was a great play, as was Kelly Grieve's catch over the fence that deprived Hawai'i of a home run."

Hawai'i right fielder Tanisha Milca christened the contest by ripping Ward's initial offering into left center for a single. Left fielder Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz worked the count full before eventually popping up on the infield to junior second baseman Erinn Webb. Clare Warwick grounded down to third as freshman Jessica Spigner made the play, pivoted and threw to Webb to catch the lead runner. UH first baseman Amanda Tauali'i hit an 0-1 pitch high in the air into left center as Grieve drifted over to make the inning-ending grab.

Tennessee's Huff granted UT a base runner of its own with two outs in the bottom half of the frame as her high bouncer traveled over the glove of leaping Rainbow Wahine pitcher Stephanie Ricketts for a single. Spigner reached base after being struck by a 1-1 offering, bringing Burchell up with a big opportunity. A wild pitch allowed the duo on the base paths the chance to advance into scoring position. That proved to be a huge play for the Lady Vols as Burchell quickly ripped a 2-2 pitch from Ricketts back up the middle, plating both runners for a 2-0 lead.

Staked to a two-run advantage after the opening frame, Tennessee's Ward started the second by issuing a free pass to Hawai'i designated player Kaleiman Duhaylonsod. Consecutive fielder's choice plays turned by Spigner and then Webb kept a runner out of scoring position and placed two quick outs on the scoreboard. The runner was left stranded as Ward battled out of a 2-0 hole against catcher Katie Grimes to post her first strikeout of the game.

During the bottom of the second inning, sophomore catcher Jen Lapicki and Andrews each battled Ricketts to two-strike counts before recording consecutive one-out base knocks. Grieve bounced a ball sharply back to the circle, advancing the runners up 60 feet via the groundout. Unfortunately, the Big Orange duo was left stranded in scoring position as a strikeout ended the frame.

Sandwiched in between Ward strikeouts of second baseman Richie Ann Titcomb and Tagab-Cruz in the third, UH's Milca reached safely for the second time in the contest by dropping a slow bouncer to short that she beat down the line for a one out single. Warwick walked to bring an end to Ward's day in the circle as Hosfield was brought into the match-up in relief. A wild pitch during the Tauali'i at-bat allowed the runners the opportunity to scamper into scoring position. It didn't matter, however, as Hosfield struck out the hitter to keep the Rainbow Wahine off the scoreboard.

Hosfield roared through the top of the fourth by posting a strikeout and receiving some defensive support. With two retired and a 3-2 count on the batter, Hawai'i center fielder Kanani Pu'u-Warren lined a shot in between first and second. Webb raced over from her defensive position, leapt on the run and made a back-handed grab to end the inning with some style.

Huff made the only offensive noise for either team in the fifth by blooping a two-out double down the left field line. The ball landed just in front of Tagab-Cruz before spinning wildly to the left towards the fence. Freshman pinch runner Holly Baker was brought in to pinch run for Huff but was left stranded on a Lady Vol strikeout as the score remained 2-0, UT.

Hawai'i finally got on the scoreboard with one out in the sixth as Warwick turned on a Hosfield pitch, sent it down the left field line and just inside the fair pole, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Tauali'i stepped into the box and drove the first offering she saw to deep left center. Grieve raced over from her defensive position and stole a potential homer with a running "web gem" grab, eventually crashing through the temporary fencing. Duhaylonsod followed by ripping a 3-0 pitch from UT's hurler down the line in left for another solo shot, deadlocking the count at 2-2.

Venturing to the seventh in a 2-2 game, Hosfield started the last frame of regulation by forcing Pu'u-Warren to pop-up to Webb at second. Grimes came through for the Rainbow Wahine with a single back up the middle to place the potential go-ahead run on base. A walk put two runners on as Milca and the top of UH's batting order came to the plate. Hosfield got ahead of Milca in the count 1-2 before inducing a lazy fly ball to center that Grieve corralled. With two down in the inning, designated player Sarah Robinson strode to the plate in a big spot as UT pitching coach Marty McDaniel and the infield met in the circle to go over strategy with the Big Orange pitcher. Tennessee's 5-9 right hander quickly got in front of Robinson 0-2 before nibbling low in the zone for a ball. A perfect pitch on the outside part of the plate set the hitter down, stranding a pair of Wahine runners on the base paths.

Needing one run to avoid extra innings for the fourth time in 2009, Lapicki came close to ending things on a 1-1 pitch from Ricketts. The Oldwick, N.J., native blasted a ball out of the park, but just foul down the left field line, before eventually bouncing out to third. Andrews attempted to get a rally started with a slap single that landed just inside the chalk in left. That brought the top of the Tennessee line-up back to the dish. Grieve swung at a 0-1 pitch to protect Andrews as the Tumwater, Wash., native reached scoring position via steal with just one down. The hitter bounced a slow chopper towards third in the perfect spot and raced down the line for a hit as Andrews cruised into third. That set the stage for some trickery as Hammond dropped a surprising squeeze bunt out in front of the plate as Andrews raced home with the game-winning run.

On Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT, No. 9 Tennessee will face Cal Poly in continuing action at the Cathedral City Classic. 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).