Lady Vols Softball Team Upsets No. 4 Alabama, 6-4

Saturday, March 24

Knoxville, Tenn.

University of Tennessee

14-19, 4-6

Alabama

27-1, 7-1

#4 Alabama

Tennessee

March 24, 2001 | Softball

Box Score

3/24/2001 UT vs. Alabama: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

Tennessee Snaps UA's 27-game Winning Streak

Box Score

Facing the No. 4 team in the nation at Tyson Park in Knoxville, the University of Tennessee softball team pulled off the upset to defeat the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, 6-4. The win snapped Alabama's 27-game winning streak and marks the first loss of the year for the Tide. It is also the Lady Vols' first win of the campaign over a nationally-ranked opponent in 11 tries. Tennessee had not beaten Alabama since an 8-7 win in Knoxville on March 22, 1998, and is now 4-7 against the Tide all-time.

Tennessee is now 14-19 on the season and 4-6 in the Southeastern Conference. Alabama is 27-1 on the year and 7-1 in the SEC.

Melissa Radley In the first inning of the second game, Tennessee pitcher Leigh Ann Ellis sat down the first three Crimson Tide hitters. Alabama pitcher Erin Wright countered in the bottom of the inning and did the same. In the top of the second, Ellis walked the lead off batter, Lindsay Testa, who was then put out at second on a fielder's choice by Angela Johnson. Johnson stole second before Melissa Bautista moved onto first via a passed ball, which advanced Johnson to third. She crossed the plate for the first run of the game when Jennifer Reach singled to center field. The inning ended one batter later with a ground out and Alabama took the 1-0 advantage.

The Lady Vols didn't take long to even the score and take the lead. Junior firstbaseman Hannah Low struck a single to right field to lead off the inning. Freshman left fielder Nikki Sexton then knocked her second career home run to bring Low home and give UT a 2-1 advantage. Sexton hit her first career homer in Tennessee's first game at Tyson Park on Thursday against Kentucky. Wright then struck out UT's Ellis and Carissa Roustan before shortstop Annie Fletcher hit a single. The side was retired, though, when Wright notched her third strikeout of the inning.

Maura Mollet In the top of the third, Alabama's Kelly Kretschman, who hit two home runs in the first game, reached first on a walk, but was caught stealing to record the first out of the frame. Ellis sat down the next two batters and UT held its 2-1 lead. Tennessee added to its lead in the bottom of the third when senior catcher Maura Mollet tripled to right center field. Senior designated player Janette Koshell then brought her home with a single to left center. Koshell moved over to second on a wild pitch. She then came home when senior Melissa Radley hit her first home run of the season off the foul pole in left field. Low then singled to give UT a runner on first with one out.

With Tennessee up 5-1, Alabama brought pitcher Shelley Laird back from the first game in relief of Wright. Sexton popped up to the third baseman in a sacrifice attempt to record the first out of the inning. Ellis helped her own cause when she tripled to right field bringing home Low. She was stranded on third base, though, as the next two Lady Vols popped out to end the inning.

Ellisha Humphrey Facing a 6-1 deficit, Alabama's Testa led off the top of the fourth with a single. Tennessee got the next two batters out before Bautista smacked a double to bring Testa home and cut the UT led to 6-2. Bautista moved to second on a passed ball and Reach walked, but Ellis got out of the inning when Ellisha Humphrey made an over the back catch on the right field fence to end the frame.

In their half of the fourth, the Lady Vols got back on the offensive track as Maura Mollet knocked a single with one out. Mollet moved to second on a single by Koshell. The two them advanced to scoring position when Radley grounded out. The inning ended, though, when Low hit a fly ball to right field.

The Crimson Tide wasted no time in striking back as Kretschman walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Ginger Jones cranked a towering home run to center field to cut the UT lead to 6-4. The last two Alabama hitters went down with a fly ball and a ground out to keep the Tennessee advantage at 6-4.

UT went down in order in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth, Alabama got its lead off batter on as Kelley Askew singled to left field. Tennessee then switched pitchers as junior Nicole Borg took over the duties in the circle with one out and Christi Traywick, a pinchrunner for Askew, on first. Reach then walked to put runners on first and second.

Traywick advanced off a fly out to center field. The next Alabama batter, Kretschman, walked to load the bases with two outs. Borg worked her way out of the jam, though, as she forced McClain to fly out to left field.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lady Vols looked to add some insurance runs, but were unable to break through as Laird sat the UT batters down in order. In the critical seventh inning, Borg returned to the circle for Tennessee. Jones led off the inning taking first base after getting hit by Borg. A pinchrunner, Amber Zugg, came in for Jones. Zugg would advance to second on a passed ball but did not go any further as Testa popped out to the second baseman and Angela Johnson popped out to the third baseman to give the Lady Vols the win.

For the game, Low was 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Mollet and Koshell were each 2-for-4 with a run. As a team, Tennessee tallied eleven hits on the day with no errors. The winning pitcher for Tennessee was Ellis with three earned runs off five hits, while Borg notched her first save as a Lady Vol. Wright took the loss for Alabama after allowing five runs in two innings of work. Laird notched one earned run in four innings of action.

Tennessee and Alabama will take to the field again on Sunday, March 25, for a 1:00 p.m. game at Tyson Park.