LADY VOLS BLANK LIPSCOMB, 3-0, TO COMPLETE SWEEP

Tuesday, March 11

Knoxville, Tenn.

University of Tennessee

19-8

Lipscomb

10-8

Lipscomb

Tennessee

Christy Anch follows through after a pitch during today's second game

March 11, 2003 | Softball

Box Score

March 11, 2003

Box Score?|? Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.

Tennessee's pitching duo of freshman Christy Anch (Ashburn, Va.) and senior Stephanie Humphrey (Knoxville, Tenn.) held Lipscomb to four hits as the Lady Vols claimed the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, 3-0. UT had taken the opener, 11-0, in five innings. Ralph and Karen Weekly's squad improved to 19-8 overall and a perfect 6-0 at Tyson Park with its third twinbill sweep of the season, while the Lady Bisons (10-8) fell for the fourth straight contest. UT junior Lauren Mattox (Charlotte, N.C.) uncorked a two-run shot in the fourth stanza to finish 4-for-6 (.667) on the afternoon with two homers and five RBI.

"We're happy with the wins this afternoon," acknowledged Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly. "We came out flat in the second game, which we knew would be the hardest thing with all of our young players. Lauren (Mattox) continues to swing a hot bat for us and Stephanie (Humphrey) gave us a solid three innings in relief. However, we made far too many base-running mistakes that took us out of a couple big innings. We will need to address these problems on the practice field. We knew Lipscomb would play hard because they beat Auburn earlier in the season and I believe that the second game was more indicative of their abilities."

Tennessee broke into the scoring column in the third inning on freshman pinch hitter Kristen Bass' (Chattanooga, Tenn.) sacrifice fly that plated classmate Mandie Fishback (Banks, Ore.). Junior Angela Brewer (East Ridge, Tenn.) drew a leadoff walk and was replaced at first by Fishback, who would scamper over to third on a sacrifice bunt from junior Ellisha Humphrey (Knoxville, Tenn.). After Bass' second RBI of the season, Anch helped herself with a single into left, freshman Katherine Card (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) walked and rookie Kristi Durant (Placentia, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to fill the bases. LU sophomore Danielle Catalano worked out of the jam by striking out sophomore Amber Rhinehart (Citrus Heights, Calif.).

Mattox clubbed her second homer of the afternoon in the fourth to provide UT with a 3-0 lead. Freshman Stacey Jennings (Aurora, Colo.) had begun the frame with an infield hit before Mattox deposited her third four-bagger of the year just over the fence in center field.

After junior Betsy White lined a single into left field to start the fifth, the Weeklys replaced Anch with senior Stephanie Humphrey. Lipscomb rookie Megan Olsen cranked a double off the left field wall to advance White to third and give her team a pair of runners in scoring position with none out. Humphrey was able to keep the Lady Bisons off the board by retiring three straight batters, freshman Lauren Parker (strikeout), junior Ashley Denton (ground out) and senior Hillary Gipson (strikeout), to keep the sacks full and preserve Tennessee's seventh shutout of the campaign.

Humphrey would surrender just one hit over the final three innings and fanned five Lady Bison hitters to register her second save of the season. Anch scattered three hits over four innings to raise her mark to 2-1 and she was also 2-for-3 at the plate out of the leadoff spot. Catalano went all the way in the circle for Lipscomb, surrendering nine hits, but saw her record slip to 2-5.

Tennessee will resume action tomorrow beginning at 3 p.m., when it welcomes in-state foe East Tennessee State (7-6) to Tyson Park for two games. The Lady Volunteers will be meeting the Buccaneers for the first time on the diamond.