Lady Vols Take Home Opener Over Kentucky, 4-2

Wednesday, March 21

Knoxville, Tenn.

University of Tennessee

13-17, 3-4

Kentucky

14-17, 1-5

Kentucky

Tennessee

March 21, 2001 | Softball

Box Score

3/21/2001 UT vs. Kentucky: Game 1 | Game 2

Fifth-Inning Home Runs by Carissa Roustan and Janette Koshell Put UT Ahead

Box Score

Janette Koshell (Mar. 21, 2001) -- Tennessee had a successful home debut at Tyson Park on Wednesday, March 21, as the Lady Vols stopped Eastern Division rival Kentucky, 4-2, in the first game of a doubleheader. Sophomore third baseman Carissa Roustan and senior center fielder Janette Koshell belted solo homers in the fifth to help UT turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 advantage. The Lady Vols later added a run in the sixth to account for the final margin. Sophomore Stephanie Humphrey allowed four hits to improve to 7-5 with the decision. Tennessee is now 13-17 overall and 3-4 in Southeastern Conference activity, while the Wildcats slipped to 14-17 and 1-5 in SEC play. Stephanie Humphrey

Kentucky opened the scoring with a single run in the second, as third baseman Rachel Friberg doubled to right center to lead off and left fielder Tiffany Kruse drew a walk to start the frame. After a ground out by UK's Andrea Eilertson that advanced the runners, Jennifer Howland lofted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Friberg with the game's initial run.

Roustan started the bottom of the third for Tennessee by reaching on an error before sophomore right fielder Nicole Murray sacrificed freshman pinch runner Ellisha Humphrey over to second. Senior shortstop Annie Fletcher was retired on a grounder for out number two, but Humphrey was able to occupy third. Since Humphrey sustained a bloody nose sliding into third, Roustan re-entered the lineup for UT. Koshell then delivered an RBI single into right to knot the count at 1-1.

The Wildcats seized the lead in the fifth on consecutive two-out hits by second baseman Nikki Jones and right fielder Leslie Kwiatkowski. Jones legged out an infield single and her teammate followed with a double into left center field to score Jones all the way from first base.

Carissa Roustan Roustan picked an opportune time to snap out of a 0-for-21 slump, as she blasted Morgan Marr's 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for her third homer of the campaign to kick off the home half of the fifth. Koshell put the Big Orange on top for the first time with a dinger to practically the same spot as Roustan's. The Granite Bay, Calif., native struck Marr's 1-1 offering into the parking lot for her second home run.

The Lady Vols tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when freshman Leigh Ann Ellis stroked an RBI single with the bases loaded and none out to drive in sophomore pinch runner Nicole Schaeffer. Junior Adrianna Wilson earned a leadoff walk and was replaced at first by Schaeffer. Freshman Nikki Sexton was in the process of bunting Schaeffer over to second but instead reached on a fielder's choice as Schaeffer was safe at second on a UK throwing error.

Senior catcher Maura Mollet beat out an infield hit to fill the bases before Ellis came on to bat for Low. Kentucky brought in Howland to relieve Marr and the right-hander prevented UT from padding its 4-2 lead. Koshell finished a perfect 3-for-3 to lead the Lady Vols, while Kwiatkowski had two hits for the 'Cats. Ellis is in the circle for the second game, opposing Howland.