Perfect NFCA Run Continues

Saturday, March 1

Columbus, Ga.

University of Tennessee

18-1

Illinois State

8-10

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

March 01, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ga. ??? On Saturday afternoon at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., No. 4 Tennessee (18-1) banged out 12 hits, including four doubles, to record a 5-2 triumph over Illinois State and improve to a perfect 4-0 at the prestigious tournament.

Senior third baseman Tonya Callahan went a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish with an RBI to lead the offensive charge.?? Freshman second baseman Chandra Mogan tallied the hit of the game with her two-run single as part of a key three-tally fourth inning, granting UT its first lead.?? Sophomore right fielder Erinn Webb doubled twice in a 2-for-3, run scored, RBI performance.?? Freshman first baseman Jen Lapicki doubled and knocked in a run to up her day???s total to five RBI counting Saturday???s two match-ups versus Florida State and Illinois State.

Freshman Ashton Ward started the contest for Tennessee and worked four innings to pick up her 11th victory of the year.?? The Charlotte, N.C., native allowed two hits and two runs while posting four K???s.?? Senior Megan Rhodes was tremendous in relief, striking out six and walking just one in three no-hit frames.??

???Both games today were tough because our opponents were really ready to play, and the competition was very good,??? Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said.?? ???I thought our hitters responded each time we needed to score to give us a margin of victory.?? Both Karen (co-head coach Weekly) and I were especially proud of Shannon Doepking and Tonya Callahan???s effort all day long.?? Chandra Mogan had the key hit in game two for us, and Megan Rhodes was brilliant in relief for us in both games.?????

Illinois State jumped in front immediately in the top of the first as a crucial fielding error committed by the Lady Vol infield opened the door for a pair of two-out runs.?? With one retired ISU second baseman Tiffany Prager dropped a slow roller that was misplayed allowing her to reach first safely.?? First baseman Amber Smith struck out to represent what should have been the third out of the frame.?? Unfortunately for the Big Orange, the inning was extended and Jessie Buker took advantage by driving a towering shot to left field.?? Hammond drifted back to the wall in a valiant attempt to make the catch but ran out of room, falling through the short portable fencing, as the Redbirds nabbed a 2-0 lead on the homer.??

Attempting to quickly answer the deficit, the Big Orange put two on the base paths in the bottom of the first against ISU hurler Rachel Smith.???? With two down Callahan singled sharply through the left side.?? Senior designated player Shannon Doepking followed with a base knock back up the middle and into center field to place runners at first and second.?? Sophomore catcher Tiffany Huff stepped in the batter???s box and got ahead in the count, 3-0.?? Redbird hurler Smith fought back to 3-2 before catching Huff swinging on a third strike to strand a pair of Lady Vols on the bags.

With her first inning difficulty in the circle in the rearview mirror, Ward settled down in the second and the third frames, retiring six of the seven batters she faced.?? The only blemish was a one out walk allowed to catcher Casey Gorrell in the top of the second.?? Consecutive strikeouts of center fielder Katie Mathis and right fielder Andrea Shifflet helped UT???s 6-0 right hander get out of the inning.

UT began to battle back in the bottom of the fourth as Webb ripped a double into the gap in left center to reach scoring position.?? A wild pitch from Smith allowed the runner to advance 60 feet, and Lapicki immediately followed with a two-bagger of her own off the portable fence in right center to plate Webb and cut the deficit to 2-1.?? That brought an end to Smith???s day in the circle for ISU as Chrissy Burton entered in relief with Lapicki at second and no outs.?? The new Redbird pitcher was called for an illegal pitch allowing the base occupant to advance to third.?? Despite a Posey walk and a stolen base, a pair of Lady Vol strikeouts threatened to derail the promising rally.?? Mogan wouldn???t let that happen, however, as she slapped a bloop single over shortstop and into short left field scoring Lapicki and Posey to grant UT its first lead of the contest at 3-2.?? Callahan followed with her third single of the contest on a shot into left center.?? Mogan rounded second but got caught straying too far off the bag as the throw from left fielder Buker caught the runner sliding back into the base for the third out.

Ward gave way to Rhodes to open the fifth frame after the rookie hurler worked four complete innings, allowing two runs on two hits and four strikeouts.?? The new hurler allowed a lead-off walk to Mathis, but induced a foul out by Shifflet, struck out third baseman Kara Nelson and forced Prager to pop-up to first base to end the frame.

Tennessee added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on RBI doubles by Webb and Doepking, respectively to grab an important 5-2 lead.

That???s when controversy interfered with the contest in the top of the seventh.?? With one down and Gorrell standing at the plate, the count was 2-2 when Rhodes unleashed was Huff believed was strike three.?? The UT catcher threw the ball down to first per usual protocol after a strikeout, but questions arose over whether the pitch was a ball or a strike.?? After a lengthy discussion over rules that involved calling in an alternate umpire, the batter was put back in the box facing a 3-2 count and promptly struck out swinging for the second retirement.?? A punch out of pinch hitter Michelle Henderson by Rhodes ended the contest and improved Tennessee to 18-1 overall and 4-0 in the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

No. 4 Tennessee???s participation in the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic will conclude Sunday morning at 10 a.m. versus Nebraska.?? Live stats will be available through utladyvols.com and, as always, periodic updates of the UT game will be recorded on the Lady Vol Hotline (865-974-8700, box #6).