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April 25, 2009

Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. - After losing the series opener by a razor-thin 1-0 margin on Saturday at the UGA Softball Stadium in Athens, Ga., No. 15 Tennessee (36-13-1, 11-10-1 SEC) dropped the second game of a doubleheader to No. 8 Georgia (36-8, 16-6 SEC), 6-2.

The Big Orange was led offensively by junior right fielder Erinn Webb as the Hemet, Calif., native went 1-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run, her sixth big fly of the season, and two RBIs. Junior first baseman Tiffany Huff delivered a pair of singles in three at-bats with a run scored, while sophomore catcher Jen Lapicki (1-for-2), freshman shortstop Ashley Andrews (1-for-3) and sophomore center fielder Kelly Grieve (1-for-3) each registered one of UT's six total hits.

Sophomore pitcher Ashton Ward started the contest and took the loss to fall to 3-2 on the season. The Charlotte, N.C., native allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits with two walks and a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. In her first lengthy action in the circle during her brief collegiate career, freshman Jessica Spigner pitched well, permitting just one run on four hits with three K's in 3.2 frames. Senior reliever Danielle Pieroni walked one in 1.2 innings of no-hit work.

Tennessee managed a base runner in the top of the initial frame as Huff chopped a two-out single over UGA's Alisa Goler at third and into left field. Spigner battled Georgia starter Sarah McCloud over an eight-pitch at-bat before bouncing to third to end the half-inning.

The Bulldogs wasted no time against Ward in the bottom of the first as lead-off hitter Taylor Schlopy drove a 2-2 offering down the left field line and over the 190-foot mark for a quick 1-0 lead. After shortstop Kristin Schnake was retired via a ground ball to first, UGA struck again with the long ball as third baseman Alisa Goler hammered a pitch the other way over the wall in left center, making it 2-0. First baseman Brianna Hesson and designated player Tori Moody kept the rally going by drawing consecutive one-out walks. That ended the day for Ward in the circle as Spigner entered in relief, making just her second career collegiate appearance in the circle. The Santa Clarita, Calif., native had previously thrown one-third of an inning on March 8th against Northwestern in Oklahoma City, Okla. She immediately settled things down from the circle, striking out catcher Kristyn Sandberg looking before handling a chopper back to the circle off the bat of second baseman Ashley Pauly for the third out.

Trying to respond offensively in the top of the second, sophomore catcher Jen Lapicki coerced a one-out walk from McCloud. Following a strikeout, Andrews took advantage of the hard ground in the front of the plate, slapping a ball on a high bounce for a hit. Grieve laced a shot to third, but right to Goler as the UGA fielder corralled the sphere and tossed across to conclude the frame with no damage.

A lead-off single to center, a sacrifice and a steal of third base by Georgia left fielder Tess Echols got the 'Dawgs in business once again in the bottom of the second. Schlopy bounced to Andrews at short as the UT infielder looked the runner back to third before tossing across the diamond for the second retirement. Spigner handled another ball back to the circle as Schnake's slow bouncer completed UGA's half of the inning.

On the first pitch of inning number three, Kajitani blasted a shot down the line in left that would have been long enough for a HR, but it drifted just foul for a loud strike one. The San Bernardino, Calif., native followed that up two pitches later with a towering shot to right that UGA's Lisaira Daniels caught while crashing into the wall for the initial out of the frame. After a groundout to second from senior left fielder Lillian Hammond, Huff blasted a promising shot down the line to deep left that was caught on the warning track by Echols for the third out.

The Bulldogs' lead grew to 3-0 in the bottom of the third as Goler hit her second solo homer of the match-up, this one to right center off Spigner.

Starting the top of the Tennessee fourth, Spigner battled McCloud over an eight-pitch at-bat before coercing a lead-off walk. Webb drove a 2-2 offering the other way to the warning track in left, just deep enough to allow freshman pinch runner Holly Baker the opportunity to slide into second safely. Lapicki lifted a pop-up into shallow right that was caught by second baseman Ashley Pauly. With two outs Ward worked the count full and appeared to take ball four inside, but the home plate umpire thought differently, ringing her up on strike three.

Utilizing a pair of infield singles from Echols and Daniels in the fourth, Georgia threatened with runners at first and second and just one out. Schlopy chopped a ball to short as Andrews corralled the ball, turned and threw to Kajitani covering third, retiring the lead runner. On the initial pitch to Schnake, Daniels was called out for leaving second early, and quickly the Big Orange were free of the threat.

With one down in the top of the fifth, Grieve beat out a high chopper to short for an infield single. Unfortunately, a lineout to second from Kajitani and a groundout to short from Hammond left the runner standing at first.

Georgia's Schnake and Goler began the bottom of the fifth with consecutive singles, placing occupants at first and third with no one out. Pinch runner Maya Branch stole second and following a strikeout by Hesson, scored along with Schnake on a single down the right field line from Moody for a 5-0 advantage. An infield error on a bouncer from Sandberg made it two on with still just a single out in the inning. A sacrifice bunt from Pauly advanced the duo 60 feet into scoring position heading back to the top of the Bulldog line-up. A wild pitch from new pitcher Pieroni traveled to the backstop as Brittney Hubbard scored for a 6-0 lead. A groundout to second base from Schlopy ended the inning, but not before UGA had put three more tallies on the scoreboard.

Huff christened the top of the sixth with a sharp base hit to center and advanced into scoring position on a groundout from Spigner. Finally a breakthrough for the Lady Vol offense as Webb drove a home run over the 220-foot mark in center, her sixth homer of the season, cutting UT's deficit to 6-2. Lapicki kept things going with a single past the second baseman and into right center, ending McCloud's day in the circle as Christie Hamilton entered in relief. The UGA hurler settled things down with consecutive strikeouts to conclude the inning.

Grieve started Tennessee's final chance in the top of the seventh by making solid contact but flying out to left for out number one. Kajitani bounced to third base as Goler's throw to first just beat a slide into the base by the junior. Hammond's routine groundout to short concluded Georgia's 6-2 victory.

No. 15 Tennessee wraps up its three-game series versus No. 8 Georgia on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET at the UGA Softball Stadium in Athens, Ga. The Sports Animal (990 AM, 99.1 FM, 99.3 FM) is on site to broadcast all three games in the series. Live stats are also available through utladyvols.com.