SYRACUSE APPLIES BRAKES TO LADY VOLS' WINNING STREAK, 3-0

Saturday, February 22

Las Vegas, Nev.

University of Tennessee

8-5

Syracuse

2-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Tennessee	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1
Syracuse	0	0	0	0	1	2	X	3	6	0

Ellisha Humphrey knocked out a pair of singles today

SYRACUSE APPLIES BRAKES TO LADY VOLS' WINNING STREAK, 3-0

February 22, 2003 | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 22, 2003

Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev.

A Tennessee fielding error with two down in the fifth enabled sophomore Katie Kaempfer to score from second base with the first run of the contest and Syracuse would tack on two additional runs the next inning to top the Lady Vol softball team, 3-0, at the UNLV Mini Tournament on Saturday morning. Orangewomen senior Tara DiMaggio (2-0) allowed six hits and registered five strikeouts in notching her second shutout of the weekend, while UT rookie Stacey Jennings (Aurora, Colo.) suffered the hard-luck loss to fall to 5-3 after hurling a perfect game in her last outing. Ralph and Karen Weekly's club saw an end to its seven-game winning skein to drop to 8-5 overall, while the BIG EAST representatives improved to 2-1 on the campaign.

Junior Angela Brewer (East Ridge, Tenn.) earned a leadoff walk in the top of the second and Jennings followed with a double to the gap in center field. However, DiMaggio was able to work herself out of the jam with strikeouts of senior Blaine Teasley (Tucson, Ariz.) and freshman Katherine Card (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) before having junior Ellisha Humphrey (Knoxville, Tenn.) fly out to right.

SU senior Kristen Collins singled with one down the bottom of the third frame, ending Jennings' streak of 40 straight batters without allowing a hit dating back to the first inning against UL-Monroe yesterday. Senior Christina Holowich laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance her teammate to second but Jennings answered by whiffing junior Rachel Park for her fourth strikeout.

Humphrey laced a one-out single in the fifth and freshman Mandie Fishback (Banks, Ore.) followed with another base-hit to give the Lady Vols a pair of runners on base. After junior Lauren Mattox (Charlotte, N.C.) pushed her teammates into scoring position with a bunt, DiMaggio had freshman Kristi Durant (Placentia, Calif.) loft a lazy fly ball to the center fielder to keep the game scoreless.

In the bottom of the stanza, Kaempfer ripped a single with one down just beyond the diving reach of Lady Vol freshman shortstop Danielle Arriaga (Miami, Fla.). Freshman Jennifer Orpitelli punched another single into left to give the other Orange two runners on board, forcing a pitching change for Tennessee. Freshman right-hander Christy Anch (Ashburn, Va.) entered the circle and had Collins line out to Arriaga. However, a misplayed relay throw on the double play attempt at first base wound up in the Syracuse dugout, allowing Kaempfer to come across with the game's first run.

The Orangewomen added two more insurance scores in the sixth on RBI singles by freshman Alexis Switenko and senior Julie Dunn. Park started things off with a single up the middle and took second on sophomore Tanya Rose's grounder. Switenko notched her first career RBI with a flare into left and occupied second on the ensuing throw to the plate. Dunn then delivered another base-knock to score Switenko to finalize the margin at 3-0.

After Card and Humphrey laced back-to-back singles to begin the final inning, DiMaggio responded by having Fishback and Arriaga pop out to her left fielder. Durant made things interesting with a single into right field to load the bases with two down but DiMaggio would strike out sophomore Amber Rhinehart (Citrus Heights, Calif.) to end the game and leave the sacks full of Lady Vols. In absorbing its first shutout of 2003, UT stranded nine runners on base.

Jennings worked 4.1 innings, fanning five, scattering three hits and giving up one unearned run. Anch was tagged for three hits and a couple of runs in her 1.2 frames of activity. Humphrey led the Weeklys' team with a 2-for-3 outing, while Syracuse boasted six players with at least one hit. The Lady Vols will take on UL-Monroe (4-7) this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. before closing out the tournament tomorrow morning against the Orangewomen at nine o'clock.