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Feb. 21, 2009

Box Score

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - On Saturday morning at the Cathedral City Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., No. 9 Tennessee (13-1) won its 11th straight game and improved to 4-0 in extra-inning contests in 2009 by prevailing over a dangerous Cal Poly squad in eight frames, 8-6. The Mustangs entered today's match-up against UT fresh off dropping a Friday night heartbreaker to No. 4 Oklahoma, 3-2.

The Big Orange offense banged out a season-high-tying 15 hits with senior left fielder Lillian Hammond guiding the way with a 4-for-5 effort at the dish, two runs scored and a clutch two-run single in the top of the eighth inning that plated the game-winning runs. Sophomore center fielder Kelly Grieve went 3-for-5 at the dish with two runs scored and two steals. The Asheville, N.C., product also robbed Cal Poly of a home run while crashing through the temporary fencing for the second consecutive contest. Junior first baseman Tiffany Huff knocked in three runs to raise her Big Orange season-best total for RBIs to 25. Junior second baseman Erinn Webb and freshman third baseman Jessica Spigner each delivered two hits. Spigner also blasted her team-high fifth homer of the campaign in the top of the seventh, a two-run shot that proved vitally important.

Tennessee utilized a trio of hurlers in the circle to nab the victory. Sophomore Ashton Ward started and worked the first inning, allowing three runs on three hits before being lifted in favor of senior Danielle Pieroni (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R). Freshman Cat Hosfield (5.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) was brought into the game starting the bottom of the fourth and battled to pick up her 10th win of the year. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native demonstrated her outstanding composure in the circle by fighting out of several jams over five pressure-packed innings of work.

Tennessee jumped in front in the top of the first with the assistance of the speed game. Grieve opened the frame by beating out an infield single to short. After swiping second base, she moved to third on a groundout off the bat of Hammond. Huff bounced a ball to the right of the circle that Cal Poly pitcher Anna Cahn corralled before turning and throwing to first. On the play Grieve raced home beating a high throw to the plate for a quick 1-0 lead.

The Mustangs answered right back in the bottom half of the first to nab a 2-1 advantage. Cal Poly second baseman Stephanie Tam singled through the left side with one out and soon scored on a home run to center field off the bat of first baseman Krysten Cary. On the blast to center, Grieve drifted back to the wall and almost made the catch, having the ball tip of the end of her glove while falling through the temporary fencing.

A base knock by Cahn to christen the bottom of the second ended the day for Ward in the circle as senior left hander Danielle Pieroni entered the contest in relief. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner into scoring range, and a single back up the middle from right fielder Nora Sobczak brought pinch runner Jenna Maiden across the dish with Cal Poly's third tally of the match-up.

The Big Orange mounted a two-out scoring threat in the top of the third as Grieve reached on a fielding error by shortstop Melissa Pura. She moved to second on a sharp single through the left side from Hammond. Unfortunately, a strikeout looking ended the threat, leaving a pair on the base paths.

The Lady Vols started their comeback in the top of the fourth with a single up the middle from Spigner. Freshman designated player Shelby Burchell followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt and Webb with a ground ball to the right side as freshman pinch runner Holly Baker advanced within 60 feet of paydirt. Sophomore catcher Jen Lapicki stepped into the box and drove a Cahn offering the other way, that landed just inside the chalk down the right field line, for an RBI as UT trimmed its deficit to 3-2.

Grieve came up with another staggering defensive web gem to back new Tennessee pitcher Hosfield in the bottom of the fourth. On a deep drive to right center by Cal Poly's Cahn, she raced over near the wall and leapt to make the catch before again crashing through the temporary fencing during her landing. The play marked the second time in two days that Grieve had stolen a potential homer with her defensive effort after saving a vital run in Friday's 3-2 triumph over Hawai'i.

Following her defensive gem in the outfield, Grieve christened the top of the fifth by lacing a single back up the middle, attempting to get another threat going. With Hammond battling Cahn at the dish, the speedster swiped second to reach scoring range with one retired. On the seventh pitch of her at-bat, Hammond slapped a perfect ball off the hard-packed dirt in front of the plate and beat the throw to first as Grieve cruised easily into third. Huff fell behind 1-2 in the count before bouncing a ball up the middle that just got past the reach of Cal Poly second baseman Tam for a single. That allowed both Grieve and Hammond, who had earlier stolen second, to race home for a 4-3 Tennessee lead.

After retiring four straight Mustang hitters, Hosfield allowed her first base runner in the bottom of the fifth as Cal Poly center fielder Jessica Rogers laced a shot just inside the third base line for a single. Spigner made a solid play on Cristen Lee's bouncer to third, throwing to Huff at first for out number two. With the runner occupying scoring position, Hosfield battled Tam to a 2-2 count before inducing an infield pop-up that Webb squeezed behind first to end the threat.

Cary began the bottom of the sixth with a bloop single over Andrews head into left center. Pura delivered a sacrifice bunt to improve the runner into scoring position with just one retired. Catcher Stephanie Correia drove a 1-2 pitch from Hosfield into center, placing runners at the corners. Cahn ripped the first pitch she saw deep into right center. Grieve moved over near the wall right at the fencing and made the grab as Cary raced home with the tying run via sac fly. Cal Poly left fielder Kendal Hennings followed by drawing a walk, putting a pair of runners on for pinch hitter Sara Kryza. The batter fought to 2-2 before lifting a routine fly to Nicole Kajitani in right, completing the frame.

Entering the final inning of regulation, Hammond slapped a ball to left field that landed just inside the chalk before kicking towards the fencing for a one out double. Huff drove the first Cahn pitch to left, but right at Hennings, as the fielder squeezed the sphere for the second retirement. Cahn fell behind Spigner 2-0 before battling back to 2-2. That's when the hurler made a crucial mistake and the UT freshman from Santa Clarita, Calif., made her pay with a clutch two-out, two-run homer to left field for a 6-4 lead. Burchell kept the assault going with a two-out single to deep short. Webb followed with a clean single over third and into left field before a routine Lady Vol groundball left the duo where they stood.

Needing a rally in the bottom of the seventh against Hosfield, Cal Poly's Rogers opened the frame with a single to short and improved to second on a walk issued to Lee. Tam worked the count full before bouncing a ball back to the circle that was misplayed for an error, loading the bases with still no outs. Cary grounded sharply to third as Spigner dove to her left to corral the ball. She threw on to Huff from her knees as a run scored, cutting the gap to 6-5. The decision was made to walk clean-up hitter Pura intentionally, loading the bases and setting up the force at every base. Correia drove a fly ball out to left that was deep enough to score Lee from third via sacrifice fly, tying the count at 6-6. That brought Cahn to the plate with a chance to end things, but Hosfield got the dangerous hitter swinging at strike three to send the game to extra innings.

Lapicki began the top of the eighth standing at second base by virtue of the international tiebreaker rule. Facing a 0-2 count versus Cahn, Kajitani bounced sharply to short. The ball took a wicked hop hitting Pura in the upper body, allowing the San Bernardino, Calif., native to reach. After a Lady Vol K, Grieve laced a 2-2 pitch the other way through the left side of the infield to load the bases with Hammond striding to the plate. The senior from Chattanooga, Tenn., came through in the clutch for UT with a two-run single over first and down the line plating a pair as Tennessee nabbed an 8-6 advantage. With Grieve at third and Hammond at second, following the return throw to the infield on her base hit, Cal Poly decided to walk Spigner this time to load the bases with two outs. The move paid dividends as Burchell bounced out to short, bringing the Mustangs up with a final chance to extend the match-up.

For Cal Poly the pitcher Cahn opened the eighth frame occupying second base. Hosfield bore down from the circle tallying consecutive strikeouts of Hennings and Sobczak to register a pair of quick retirements. Rogers stepped in to face the 5-9 right hander but went down swinging as Hosfield struck out the side to secure the marathon victory.

No. 9 Tennessee will conclude its stay at the Cathedral City Classic on Saturday with a 3 p.m. PT match-up against tournament host Oregon State. 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).