University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Northwestern
KEY FIFTH INNING RALLY GUIDES NO. 3/2 UT OVER NO. 16 NORTHWESTERN, 3-2
March 04, 2006 | Softball
March 4, 2006
FULLERTON, Calif. - Despite facing an early deficit to a nationally-ranked team at the Worth Invitational in Fullerton, Calif., the No. 3/2 Tennessee Lady Vol softball team battled back with a crucial three-run, fifth-inning rally to down No. 16 Northwestern, 3-2, and improve to a perfect 12-0 on the campaign. The victory granted the Big Orange a 3-0 record against ranked teams in 2006.
Junior hurler Monica Abbott picked up her ninth consecutive triumph to christen the season while allowing a pair of runs and six hits with 16 K's in a complete game. Senior designated player Kristi Durant posted a pair of RBI with a clutch double while senior right fielder Katherine Card registered a crucial sacrifice fly.
"Karen and I are proud of the way our team fought back today against a fired up Northwestern squad," said Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly. "We played a lot of players today and experimented with a couple of lineups. In the end our speed game was critical in our victory. Monica Abbott settled down after giving up a leadoff home run and pitched us to a big win.
After Tennessee went quietly in the top of the first, Northwestern shortstop Tammy Williams jumped on an Abbott offering from her lead-off position in the bottom half of the frame and deposited the ball opposite field over the left center field wall to grant the 16th-ranked Wildcats a quick, 1-0 advantage. The big fly was the first allowed by the two-time All-American this season in, at that point, 47.1 innings.
Despite the best efforts of the Lady Vol offense, which left numerous base runners in scoring position through the first four frames and a total of eight for the game, it was in the fifth inning that the Big Orange finally got to NU hurler Courtnay Foster. The Lady Vols strung together three hits and a sacrifice fly to take a 3-1 advantage. Tennessee's speed game played dividends as Schutzler beat out an infield single to leadoff the inning. Fekete followed with a sharp bouncer just off the NU third baseman's glove. On the play an alert Schutzler noticed no one covering third and raced up an extra base with Fekete sliding into second on the Wildcats attempt to retire the lead runner. Durant stepped to the dish and drilled a clutch double into left field to register Tennessee's first two runs of the contest. A one out sacrifice fly by Card plated pinch runner Sarah Vaughn and granted UT a 3-1 lead.
The Lady Vols left a runner on base in the top of both the sixth and seventh innings but failed to add to their two-run lead.
The Wildcats ignited a rally of their own in the bottom of the seventh inning off Abbott as a leadoff single by first baseman Garland Cooper and a hit batter granted NU runners at first and second with no outs. A base knock into left field by designated player Jamie Dotson drew NU within a run at 3-2, but on the play a base running error by pinch runner Elizabeth Piatt between second and third resulted in the Wildcats' first out of the inning on a rundown. With just a single base runner standing at first, center fielder Sheila McCorkle drilled a base knock to right to grant the Purple and White runners at the corners with one down. Abbott settled herself and demonstrated why she is one of the nation's greatest strikeout pitchers by punching out second baseman Ashley Crane and right fielder Erin Dyer for her 15th and 16th K's of the game to end the tension-filled match-up.
Tennessee will conclude its action at the Worth Invitational at approximately 6 p.m. PT against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Updates of both contests will be provided periodically to the Lady Vol Hotline at 865-974-8700 (box #6).
