Arkansas Earns Doubleheader Split With Tennessee, 3-0

Saturday, April 14

Knoxville, Tenn.

University of Tennessee

20-28, 5-14

Arkansas

27-23, 9-11

Arkansas

Tennessee

April 14, 2001 | Softball

Box Score

4/14/2001 UT vs. Arkansas: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

Freshman Heather Schlichtman Shuts Down Lady Vols on Five Hits

Box Score
KNOXVILLE - Rookie right-hander Heather Schlichtman tossed a five-hitter and Arkansas plated a pair of runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to earn a 3-0 shutout of Tennessee and forge a a split of Saturday's twinbill. The loss ended the Lady Vols' winning streak at six games and enabled the Lady'Backs to pick up their first victory in six contests at Tyson Park. UT is now 20-28 overall and 5-14 in the Southeastern Conference, while UA improves to 27-23 and 9-11 in league activity.

Arkansas was in prime position to crack the scoreboard in the top of the second, loading the bases with one down against freshman Leigh Ann Ellis. Following a strikeout of freshman Cortney Mitchell, UA sophomore Kim Eiben poked a single up the middle and then senior Jennifer Bottoms drew a walk. An infield hit by rookie Nicole Deeter jammed the bases before Ellis went to work. First, the southpaw had sophomore pinch hitter ground to Lady Vol shortstop Annie Fletcher, who forced Eiben at home for the second out. Tennessee escaped unscathed when freshman Stephanie Hunter was retired on a grounder to sophomore Carissa Roustan.

Following a one-out walk to freshman Rachael Mink in the bottom of the second, junior Adrianna Wilson sent a single deep to right field to have freshman pinch runner Ellisha Humphrey take third. Schlichtman set down Fletcher on a fly-out before fanning Roustan to end the inning.

Adrianna Wilson and Carissa Roustan Junior Andy Wharton earned a free pass from Ellis to start the fifth and Hunter legged out a bunt to provide the Lady'Backs with two on and none out. Sophomore Julie Young executed a sacrifice to advance Wharton and Hunter before junior Danica Howlett stroked an RBI single into right field. Arkansas broke the scoreless deadlock on the hit but Lady Vol right fielder Nicole Johnson fired a bullet to the plate to catch Hunter in a run-down that resulted in the second out but enabled Howlett to occupy third. Sophomore Lauren Hendrix then delivered a single into right to drive in her teammate and make the count 2-0.

The visitors from Fayetteville would tack on an insurance run in the sixth on a two-double to left field by Deeter to assume a 3-0 advantage. After Ellis had junior pinch hitter Tiffany Woolley pop-out to center fielder Maura Mollet, a defensive lapse by the Orange enabled Eiben to reach base. A fielder's choice by Bottoms forced Eiben at second but that would have been the final out of the frame. Deeter then smacked Ellis' second pitch into the gap to score freshman pinch runner Kelli Nims.

Deeter and Hendrix managed two hits apiece to pace Arkansas' eight-hit attack against Ellis. The Lady Vol rookie struck out four but fell to 4-10 with the defeat. UT has scored either zero or one run in over half of Ellis' assignments in the circle. Schlichtman fired her seventh solo shutout with four K's in boosting her mark to 19-10.

The setback was the 19th time Tennessee has been held scoreless this season. The Lady Vols and Lady'Backs are scheduled to wrap up the weekend series with a single game at one o'clock tomorrow.