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March 8, 2009

Box Score

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - No. 7 Tennessee (20-3) completed its stay at "The Preview" presented by WORTH in both Norman and Oklahoma City, Okla., with a 2-2 overall record after dropping its finale, 11-3 (6 inn.), to No. 16 Northwestern on Sunday morning at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. During the event, the Big Orange downed No. 5 Oklahoma twice by 4-1 and 6-5 (8 inn.) scores, but lost both match-ups versus NU.

Junior first baseman Tiffany Huff (1-for-1, 2 BB's) helped lead the Lady Vol offense by blasting her sixth homer of the season during the game's opening inning. The Saugus, Calif., native now possesses a team-best 45 RBIs through just 23 games after hitting .417 with two HR's and five RBIs at the event. Sophomore catcher Jen Lapicki (1-for-2) added her own big fly an inning later, the second of the year for the Oldwick, N.J., native. Freshman designated player Shelby Burchell contributed an RBI single as part of a 1-for-3 effort at the dish.

Forced to make her fourth overall appearance and third start in four games during the weekend as a result of an illness-depleted pitching staff, freshman hurler Cat Hosfield (worked 25 innings) fell to 15-3 on the season after allowing seven hits and three earned runs with five K's over 4.1 innings of work. Senior Danielle Pieroni permitted one earned score on two hits in 1.1 frames, while freshman Jessica Spigner made her collegiate pitching debut, working one-third of an inning of scoreless relief.

"The game of softball is all about pitching," Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. "Without our No. 2 pitcher, who was at home, we weren't as deep from the circle as we normally are. It was a 3-2 game until we made a critical throwing error in the fourth on a routine play that eventually opened the door for Northwestern to score five unearned runs. Our kids battled hard, but were just unable to get back into it. Northwestern played a great game. Cat Hosfield pitched really well for us this weekend, picking up two wins over No. 5 Oklahoma, but just ran out of gas today. Karen (co-head coach Weekly) and I were happy to see Jen Lapicki hit well in this tournament and get a home run today."

Northwestern shortstop Tammy Williams got the Wildcats off to a solid start in the top of the first, driving a 1-2 Hosfield offering into the gap in left center for a lead-off double. Third baseman Robin Thompson dropped a sacrifice bunt out in front of the plate, advancing the runner to third with one down. The base occupant just 60 feet from paydirt didn't seem to bother UT's rookie hurler as the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native struck out NU second baseman Nicole Pauly swinging. She then induced an infield pop-up from first baseman Adrienne Monka to Ashley Andrews at short as Williams was left standing harmlessly at third.

After the Lady Vols were dealt two quick strikeouts opening the bottom of the first against Northwestern's Lauren Delaney, Huff stepped in to face the hard-throwing right-hander. The Saugus, Calif., native quickly fell behind in the count 0-2, but rebounded big-time, taking a Delaney pitch the other way deep over the left center field wall for her sixth homer of the year and a 1-0 Tennessee lead.

The advantage expanded to two runs in the bottom of the second via another long ball. Lapicki blasted a 3-1 pitch the other way past the fence in right center, marking her second big fly of the year.

The Wildcats answered UT in similar style with one down in the top of the third as Williams drove a shot over the right center field wall, cutting NU's deficit to 2-1. Thompson followed with a slap-single deep to short, keeping the rally going. Pauly lifted a long fly ball down the left field line that stayed in play long enough for Hammond to drift over to make the catch. With two retired Monka stepped in the box and hammered a 1-2 pitch to left center for a two-run homer as the `Cats grabbed a 3-2 lead. Designated player Michelle Batts walked, but Hosfield settled down to end the frame via a "K" of catcher Erin Dyer.

Suddenly trailing on the scoreboard, Tennessee's offense looked to get something started in the bottom of the third. Andrews christened the inning by drawing a walk off Delaney. The Tumwater, Wash., native swiped second, taking an unexpected shot from NU shortstop Williams during her slide as the fielder was forced to jump over the top of the runner while attempting to corral the catcher's throw. Andrews advanced within 60 feet of paydirt on a ground out to short off the bat of sophomore center fielder Kelly Grieve. Senior left fielder Lillian Hammond battled Delaney over an 11-pitch at-bat before bouncing back to the circle for out number two. The call was made to intentionally walk Huff, placing runners at the corners for Spigner. The move paid off for the Wildcats as Tennessee's rookie third baseman looked at strike three to leave the pair stranded.

A Kelly Quinn two-out walk, a wild pitch and an intentional free pass of the dangerous Williams placed two aboard for the Wildcats in the fourth. Thompson grounded a ball on the infield that was corralled but thrown low to first for an crucial error as Quinn raced home from second, making the score 4-2, NU. That miscue opened the floodgates as NU would eventually register five unearned tallies in the frame. With runners standing at the corners, Pauly bounced a single to deep short allowing Williams to tally the game's fifth run. Monka made it 8-2 by blasting her second homer of the contest, this one a three-run shot to deep left, to end Hosfield's start in the circle. Tennessee summoned in Spigner for her collegiate pitching debut, and the Santa Clarita, Calif., product eventually managed to get UT out of the inning by inducing a fly out to deep center from Erin Dyer.

Starting the bottom of the fourth, Webb walked and was joined on the base paths by Lapicki via a hit by pitch as Tennessee attempted to get another rally going. Following a Lady Vol "K," Burchell ripped a run-scoring single into left center, cutting the deficit to 8-3.

Pieroni entered the circle in relief for the Big Orange in the fifth, allowing a pair of base runners via a lead-off infield single and another intentional walk of Williams. The inning came to a close with no damage done on the scoreboard, however, as NU's Thompson popped up to Webb near second base.

A pair of walks, two base hits and an error in the sixth allowed the Wildcats to add three more tallies on the scoreboard as the gap grew to 11-3. On a sharp, two-out liner off the bat of pinch hitter Jessica Rigas, Andrews made a stellar leaping "web gem" catch at short to conclude the assault.

Suddenly facing its last chance to extend the contest, Tennessee was retired in order by Delaney in the bottom of the sixth as UT wrapped up the prestigious event at 2-2 overall with a pair of wins over No. 5 Oklahoma.

No. 7 Tennessee will return to action on Wed., March 11th, against Belmont at Lee Softball Stadium. Live stats will be available through utladyvols.com via Gametracker.