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March 21, 2009

Box Score

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - On a breezy Saturday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., No. 6 Tennessee fell to 24-4 on the season and 2-1 in Southeastern Conference action by dropping a 7-0 decision to No. 1 Florida (30-2, 9-0 SEC) in the opener of a high-profile SEC Eastern Division series.

UT senior left fielder Lillian Hammond (1-of-3) and sophomore first baseman Jen Lapicki (1-of-2) each recorded doubles during the contest for the Big Orange, while junior right fielder Nicole Kajitani (1-for-2) and junior catcher Tiffany Huff (1-for-3) delivered singles off UF starter Stacey Nelson.

Lady Vol freshman pitcher Cat Hosfield took the loss, dropping to 17-4 on the season, after allowing five earned runs on just two hits over 2.2 innings. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native also walked four Gator batters and struck out two during her time in the circle. Sophomore right hander Ashton Ward permitted a pair of scores on five hits and tallied two strikeouts during 3.1 frames of relief work.

Both starting pitchers came out dealing in the opening frame as UF's Nelson struck out the side and Tennessee's Hosfield punched out both second baseman Aja Paculba and first baseman Ali Gardiner as part of her own one-two-three inning.

The Gators tallied the game's initial base runner for either team in the bottom of the second as left fielder Francesca Enea led-off the frame by drawing a four-pitch walk. UF third baseman Corrie Brooks attempted to sacrifice the runner to second but popped up her bunt as Huff raced out from behind the plate and corralled the sphere for the first out. Freshman third baseman Jessica Spigner took care of the remaining outs by catching an infield pop-up off the bat of shortstop Megan Bush and handling a sharp bouncer from catcher Kristina Hilberth to end the frame.

Kajitani hustled to beat out an infield hit christening the third, becoming Tennessee's initial base occupant of the match-up. The San Bernardino, Calif., native easily swiped second to reach scoring position and eventually moved to third on a grounder to short from Lapicki. Rookie shortstop Ashley Andrews dropped a bunt out in front of the plate with Kajitani racing towards the plate. Nelson charged from the circle, nabbed the slow roller and tossed in one motion from her glove to the catcher Hilberth as the UF backstop tagged out Kajitani, preventing the run. A caught stealing at second on Andrews concluded UT's half of the inning with no scoreboard damage.

After UF center fielder Michelle Moultrie lifted a fly ball to deep right for the initial out of the bottom of the third, Hosfield walked designated player and No. 9 hitter in the order, Alicia Sisco. Paculba battled UT's hurler to a full count before popping up harmlessly to short. Bruder also coerced a free pass, placing a pair on the base paths venturing into the heart of the Gator batting order. Gardiner delivered a RBI with two outs, driving in the game's first run by singling up the middle as Sisco raced around from second for a 1-0 lead. Enea battled Hosfield over a 14-pitch at-bat before eventually walking, loading the bags for Brooks. The free passes came back to haunt the Big Orange as Brooks blasted a grand slam over the wall in left, granting the Gators a 5-0 advantage. That ended the day for Hosfield in the circle as Ward was summoned into the match-up in relief. Andrews snared a sharp liner off the bat of Bush to complete the third, but not before three walks and a pair of hits had quickly turned into five UF tallies.

Florida's lead grew in the bottom of the fourth as a two-out free pass issued to Sisco and a double from Paculba plated another score as UF moved in front, 6-0.

Nelson continued to control the Tennessee line-up from the circle, working through the fourth and fifth innings in order. Lady Vol freshman designated player Shelby Burchell appeared to have beaten out a high bouncer to second with two retired in the bottom of the fifth, but was called out at first on a very close play at the bag.

Gardiner started Florida's half of the fifth with a clean single into right center. Enea battled over another 14-pitch at-bat before again drawing a walk, putting two on base. Ward managed to strikeout Brooks and then induced a routine fly ball to center from Bush, that Grieve caught on the run, for the second out. Hilberth stepped in and chopped a bouncer back up the middle for an RBI single as pinch runner Lauren Heil scored to make it 7-0. Webb caught a liner from Moultrie to conclude the inning as the Gators left a pair stranded.

Lapicki granted the Big Orange some offensive life in the top of the sixth by ripping a one-out double to the wall in right center. Unfortunately, a UT strikeout and a Grieve pop-up to short left freshman pinch runner Holly Baker standing in scoring position.

In the bottom of the sixth, consecutive two-out base knocks up the middle from Florida's Bruder and Gardiner set the Gators up with another scoring opportunity. Ward responded from the circle, however, by striking out Enea to close the frame with no damage done.

Facing the last chance to rally in the top of the seventh, lead-off batter Hammond got Tennessee off to a promising start by driving a double the other way and down the left field line into the corner. Huff followed with a bloop single into left center as the Big Orange posted a serious threat with runners at the corners and still none retired. Huff advanced 60 feet to second on a routine groundout to short from Spigner. Unfortunately another UT strikeout and then a slow roller off the bat of Burchell to second left both runners stranded as the contest ended in favor of the Gators.

No. 6 Tennessee continues its three-game series against No. 1 Florida at approximately 3:45 p.m. ET on Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. The Sports Animal (AM 990, 99.1 & 99.3 FM) will radio broadcast all three contests in the weekend series with Chip Kain on the call. Live stats will be available through utladyvols.com via Gametracker.