Homers Drive No. 6 UT Past Oregon State, 8-1

Sunday, February 10

Cathedral City, Calif.

University of Tennessee

5-0

Oregon State

2-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Tennessee	1	1	4	0	0	2	0	8	12	1
Oregon State	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	1

February 10, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

Box Score??

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. ??? No. 6 Tennessee???s (5-0) dominant run through the Cathedral City Kickoff in Cathedral City, Calif., ended successfully on Sunday morning as the Big Orange routed the No. 18 Oregon State Beavers (2-3), 8-1, to improve to a perfect 5-0 on the season.?? The Lady Vols have now won 12 of their last 16 games against the powerful Pac-10 Conference including Saturday???s 5-0 win over No. 20 Oregon.
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Sophomore center fielder Anita Manuma and freshman first baseman Jen Lapicki each homered against OSU and knocked in a pair of tallies to lead the 12-hit offensive assault.?? Freshman pitcher Ashton Ward threw six innings in relief of starter Megan Rhodes, improving to 3-0 on the year after allowing three hits and no runs with four K???s.
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During the weekend, UT outscored its opposition 34-3, hit .365 as a team, blasted four home runs and stole 15 bases in 15 attempts.?? The pitching staff posted a combined 0.45 ERA, struck out 38 in 31 innings of work and held opposing teams to a measly .125 batting average.??
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Offensively, senior catcher Shannon Doepking was outstanding at the plate during the five-game stay in California by hitting .467 (7-of-15) with a double and seven RBI.?? Table-setters Kenora Posey (.462) and Lillian Hammond (.444) combined for 14 total hits, 11 runs scored and 10 steals.?? Sophomore right fielder Erinn Webb hit .429 (6-of-14), and sophomore utility player Tiffany Huff knocked in two runs as part of a .417 effort.?? In their initial collegiate weekend, Lapicki was incredible by hitting .313 with two home runs and five RBI, while second baseman Chandra Mogan hit .400 with two RBI.?? Two-time All-American senior third baseman Tonya Callahan added to her school record home run total (36) with a three-run blast during UT???s opener against Utah State.
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From the circle, Ward, junior Danielle Pieroni (2.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 K???s) and senior Megan Rhodes (2-0, 13.0 IP, 1.08 ERA, 20 K???s) combined to go 5-0 with a 0.45 ERA.?? Ward delivered a dominating 3-0 weekend with a 0.00 ERA and two wins over ranked Pac 10 teams while hurling 16 innings.??
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???We are extremely proud of our team for their performance in this tough tournament,??? Lady Vol Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly said.?? ???We need to go to work as coaches and correct a lot of little things that will make us a better team.?? Every player contributed in a lot of ways.?? This was a full team effort.???
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Tennessee wasted little time in getting off to a good start on Sunday morning against the Beavers.?? With one out, Mogan slapped a shot to third that she beat out for a single.?? A wild pitch from Oregon State hurler Kelly Dyer allowed the runner to reach scoring position with Callahan standing at the dish.?? Following a pop out by the Holden, Mo., native, Huff ripped a shot into left field to plate Mogan for a 1-0 advantage.?? Doepking walked to place two aboard, but a promising blast from Lapicki came up just short of the wall in center to end the frame.
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The Beavers got the tally right back in the bottom of the first as a one out single from McKenna Lowe set the stage for Oregon State All-American second baseman Cambria Miranda who launched a shot to deep left.?? Tennessee???s Hammond drifted back to the short portable wall and had the ball bounce just off the tip of her glove as she fell through the interlocked fence for a ground rule double.?? Lowe scored from second on the play to deadlock the score at 1-1.
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With one retired in the top of the second, Manuma hammered the first offering she saw from Dyer deep to right center for a solo home run as the Lady Vols quickly grabbed the lead back from OSU, 2-1.??
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After a leadoff walk was issued to OSU right fielder Erin Guzy, co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly made a call to the bullpen to summon in Ward in relief of Rhodes, who had pitched Tennessee???s Saturday evening contest against Cal Poly.?? The Charlotte, N.C., native immediately took control and retired the first three batters she faced including shortstop Paige Lowe by K.
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The UT offense finally got completely untracked in the top of the third with one down as consecutive singles from Callahan and Huff started an assault that ended the day for Dyer in the circle.?? Doepking greeted new Beaver pitcher Stefanie Draper by lacing a sacrifice fly to deep right to score freshman pinch runner Kelsey Stander and make it 3-1, Big Orange.???? Lapicki followed immediately with a two-run HR to left to grant the Orange & White some vital breathing room at 5-1.?? Webb stepped to the plate and drilled a shot to left center that rolled around long enough for the Hemet, Calif., native to slide safely into third with a triple.?? The advantage grew to 6-1 as Manuma singled to first base allowing Webb to cross home plate.
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A one out infield error on the Lady Vols and a single by OSU???s Miranda placed runners at first and second in the top of the third.?? Ward wriggled out of any trouble, however, with the help of her defense as DeAnn Young popped out to short and Alana Ford grounded out routinely to second.????
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After two relatively quiet innings as Ward and Draper kept things under control, the Big Orange added two more runs to the scoreboard in the top of the sixth.?? Consecutive base knocks from Manuma and Posey and a pair of stolen bases set the stage for an RBI groundout by Mogan and an RBI single off the bat of Callahan for an 8-1 lead.
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Oregon State managed a one out single by Young in the bottom of the sixth, but could get nothing started against Tennessee???s 6-0 right hander over the final two innings as Ward cruised to the finish to complete UT???s fifth win to start the 2008 season.
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No. 6 Tennessee will next travel to Tampa, Fla., for the USF Best Western Tournament over Feb. 16-18.?? During its stay at the event, the Big Orange will face Florida Gulf Coast, Hofstra, USF, Mississippi and Florida A&M.