LADY VOLS CAN'T STOP BUFFALO'S STAMPEDE, 8-2

Friday, February 28

Miami, Fla.

University of Tennessee

10-6

Buffalo

1-1

Tennessee

Buffalo

Katherine Card added two more hits on the season

March 01, 2003 | Softball

Box Score

March 1, 2003

Box Score

MIAMI, Fla.

Former Lady Vol Jackie Beavers was able to celebrate at the expense of her alma mater on Friday afternoon, as the University at Buffalo dealt Tennessee an 8-2 setback at the Golden Panther Invitational. The Bulls' pitching coach starred for the Orange between 1996-2000 and had to be pleased with the outstanding performance of her sophomore hurler Stacey Evans (1-0), who limited UT to just five hits and notched 11 strikeouts en route to the triumph.

Buffalo had opened the three-day tournament with a 10-2 loss to Florida A&M in five innings in its season debut this morning but was able to bounce right back by plating six runs in the first off the Lady Vol duo of freshman Stacey Jennings (Aurora, Colo.) and senior Stephanie Humphrey (Knoxville, Tenn.). Ralph and Karen Weekly's club committed a season-high five errors and fell to 10-6 overall with its second-worst defeat of the campaign.

UT rookie Sarah Fekete (Maryville, Tenn.) led off the contest with an infield single and then swiped second base for her first career theft. With classmate Kristi Durant (Placentia, Calif.) up to bat, Fekete went ahead and nabbed third base. Evans retired Durant on a ground ball but then walked Jennings and hit sophomore Amber Rhinehart (Citrus Heights, Calif.) to fill the bases with two down. The hurler then responded with a strikeout of freshman Christy Anch (Ashburn, Va.) to keep the game scoreless.

Buffalo sent 11 hitters to the dish in the bottom of the frame and exploded for six runs on five hits, helped by a pair of Tennessee errors. Junior Allison Round started the huge inning with a base-hit into left field off Jennings and the Bulls took advantage on a Lady Vol throwing miscue on junior Marce Ross' attempted sacrifice to leave their first two runners on the corners. 2002 All-Region performer Breanne Nasti fisted a single into left to drive in Round but then another critical UT lapse spelled more trouble. The Orange botched a relay throw on sophomore Ann Marie Magur's grounder, enabling Ross to score from second on the play. Sophomore Julie Hibner's tapped ball resulted in just the first out of the inning before Evans punched a single up the middle to plate Nasti with the Bulls' third run and chase Jennings from the circle.

Sophomore Melissa Pace greeted reliever Humphrey with a single through the right side to increase UB's advantage to four runs. Senior Jessica Kensy then rocked a double to straightaway center field to plate both Evans and Pace to balloon the count to 6-0. When Humphrey walked the Bulls' ninth hitter, freshman Lauren Picciano, the Weeklys inserted Jennings back into the circle and the right-hander had Ross knock a ball that freshman second baseman Jessica Wilson (Brentwood, Tenn.) gobbled up to end the stanza.

Junior Angela Brewer (East Ridge, Tenn.) drew a leadoff walk in the second and freshman Kim Sanders (Placentia, Calif.) was struck by a pitch. After Brewer advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by UB that was mishandled over at first, Evans worked out of the jam by setting down senior Blaine Teasley (Tucson, Ariz.) and Fekete on strikes before freshman Chemil Washington (Vancouver, Wash.) grounded weakly to the her.

Buffalo tacked on two more runs in the fourth to race out to an eight-run cushion, as UT was charged with three more errors. Nasti legged out an infield single and took second when the relay throw sailed high of first base. Magur lofted a fly ball into center field that was dropped, enabling Nasti to come across with the Bulls' seventh run. With Magur at third after another mistake by the Orange and White, Hibner stroked a single up the middle to drive in her teammate.

Teasley earned a free pass to start the fifth and wound up on third base when rookie Katherine Card (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) extended her hitting streak to eight games with a single into left. Durant then increased her own hitting skein to seven contests with a two-run double to narrow the gap to 8-2 and prevent the mercy rule from taking effect.

Nasti finished 3-for-4 and scored twice for Buffalo and Evans helped herself with a 2-for-4 performance. Jennings (6-4) surrendered five runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning of action. Humphrey yielded two hits and a run to the three batters she faced, while Anch went a career-high five frames and scattered six hits and allowed two runs. Tennessee was without the services of two starters: freshman shortstop Danielle Arriaga (Miami, Fla.), who did not make the trip to her hometown because of an injured knee, and freshman second baseman Mandie Fishback (Banks, Ore.), who remained at the Embassy Suites due to an illness.

Tennessee will face tournament host Florida International (7-14) in tonight's fourth and final game at University Park. Although first pitch between the squads is slated for 7 p.m., the Golden Panthers will play Furman (3-3) before their first-ever encounter with the Lady Volunteers, increasing the likelihood of a later start.