University of Tennessee Athletics
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Mississippi State
Mississippi State Handles Lady Vols in Opener, 13-4
March 31, 2001 | Softball
Tennessee Dips to 4-8 in Southeastern Conference, Bulldogs Win 7th Straight
- Box Score
(Mar. 31, 2001) -- Mississippi State matched its school-record winning streak in Southeastern Conference action at seven games with a 13-4 conquest of the Lady Vol softball team in the Saturday, March 31, opener at Tyson Park. Tennessee slipped to 14-21 overall and 4-8 in the SEC with the loss, while the Bulldogs improved to 21-16 and 9-4 in the league. Freshman Krystal Tillman was 3-for-4 with five RBI for MSU.
Freshman Blaire Brown led off the MSU second with a single up the middle and was then sacrificed over to second by sophomore Brooke Best. Following an infield pop-out by senior Anna Joyce Lott, Tillman laced an RBI base-hit into right center to score Brown with the game's first run. However, UT's Nicole Murray threw out Tillman attempting to take second.
Tennessee evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame on a hit and two Bulldog errors. Junior Hannah Low reached on a miscue to start things off and would later cross the plate on a two-out infield hit by senior Annie Fletcher. Low would have remained on third but an errant throw from MSU past first base enabled her to come home.
Junior All-American Kellie Wilkerson took Lady Vol sophomore Stephanie Humphrey deep with one down in the third to provide the visitors with a 2-1 lead. Tennessee caught a break on Wilkerson's 11th dinger of the campaign, as catcher Maura Mollet had gunned down Jennifer Jessup trying to swipe second base during the at bat.
The Bulldogs created more breathing room for themselves in the fourth with a pair of runs on four consecutive hits off Humphrey. Best stroked a one-out single to left, followed by a two-bagger to the gap in right center by Lott. With runners on second and third, Tillman singled to score senior pinch runner Robyn Schlagheck. As sophomore pinch runner Jennifer Nelson was positioned on third, Tillman stole second to move herself into scoring position. Jessup then delivered a single into right to plate Nelson, but Murray fired a perfect strike to Mollet to nail Tillman and preserve the margin at 4-1.
Mississippi State expanded its lead to 7-1 on a bizarre play in the fifth. With third baseman Cheri Smith aboard after doubling and Brown on second after a fielder's choice, Best lofted a deep fly ball into left field with two down. Tennessee freshman Nikki Sexton moved back to the warning track to make a play but the ball deflected off her glove and over the fence for a three-run homer.
The Lady Vols rallied for two runs in the home half of the frame to trim the deficit to 7-3. Sophomore Carissa Roustan led off with a single into left and was replaced on first by classmate Nicole Schaeffer. A one-out infield single by Mollet then set the stage for an RBI double by senior Janette Koshell that drove in Schaffer. Senior Melissa Radley followed with another base-hit to score Mollet and leave the Lady Vols with runners on second and third with only one out. However, MSU hurler Jennifer Pursell buckled down to retire Low and Sexton to halt the threat.
A double by Wilkerson in the sixth added another run to State's total, as Jessup scored all the way from first after a one-out single. However, the Bulldogs erupted for five runs on five hits to move out in front, 13-3. Tillman cranked a three-run homer off junior reliever Nicole Borg to highlight the last stanza.
UT added a run in its final at bat to finalize the margin at 13-4, as Low smoked a double to the triangle in left center to drive in Mollet, who had singled to begin the inning.
Mississippi State established a season high with 17 hits, as Tillman (3-for-4), Best (3-for-3, 3 RBI), Brown (2-for-4, 2 runs), Jessup (2-for-2, 2 runs), McMichael (2-for-4) and Wilkerson (2-for-5, 2 RBI) each notched multiple-hit efforts. The Lady Vols reached Pursell for nine hits in the losing cause, as Fletcher, Mollet and Radley chipped in two hits apiece.
Pursell went the distance to notch her 10th victory against eight losses, with Humphrey giving up 12 hits and eight runs in dropping to 7-7. Borg yielded five hits and five runs over 1.1 innings. Freshman Leigh Ann Ellis will oppose MSU's Jennifer Nelson in the second game.
