Softball routs Huskers for 11th straight win

Sunday, March 2

Columbus, Ga.

University of Tennessee

19-1

Nebraska

4-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Tennessee	0	0	0	1	4	4	9	14	0
Nebraska	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	2

March 02, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ga. ??? No. 4 Tennessee (19-1) routed Nebraska, 9-0 (6 inn.), on Sunday morning in Columbus, Ga., to complete its action at the NFCA Leadoff Classic at a perfect 5-0 and join Michigan as the lone undefeated teams at the prestigious event.?? It took four different tiebreakers to determine the tourney champion, but the Wolverines nabbed the crown by a razor-thin 22-21 total via run differential spanning the five contests.

For the second consecutive game the Big Orange offense blasted four doubles while tallying a season-high 14 hits in the triumph over the Cornhuskers.?? During the five-game tourney, UT hit .328 as a team, scored 35 total runs, registered eight doubles, four home runs and 33 RBI and swiped 10 bases.?? For the year, Tennessee now boasts a .334 team batting average and is scoring at a 6.4 runs-per-game clip.?? Five different Lady Vols hit over .400 for the weekend with freshman Jen Lapicki leading the way at .500 with seven RBI.?? Sophomore Tiffany Huff delivered eight RBI over the five games with a .364 average, a double and a HR.

Sophomores Huff (three RBI) and Erinn Webb (RBI, three runs scored) each delivered a 3-for-4 effort at the plate to lead the offensive attack versus the Huskers.?? Senior designated player Shannon Doepking went a perfect 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and two RBI.?? Senior third baseman Tonya Callahan (two RBI) blasted her third home run of the season and program-best 38th of her career to climb within six RBI (198) of breaking the school record of 203 held by former Lady Vol All-American Kristi Durant.?? Senior shortstop Kenora Posey and senior left fielder Lillian Hammond each posted two hits and scored three total runs, keying the UT speed game effort.????

Senior pitcher Megan Rhodes improved to 8-0 on the season after working three solid innings in relief of freshman starter Ashton Ward (3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 K???s).?? The Nashville, Tenn., product struck out five and allowed no runs on three hits to complete the combined shutout.

???Our team played really well today,??? Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said.?? ???We knew we had to win against Nebraska to compete for the tournament championship.?? I thought we came out fired up and did everything we could do to take care of business.?? It???s been a grueling February and early March with 15 of our first 20 games on the road.?? We all look forward to getting home this week and focusing on our next challenge.?????

Both teams got the lead-off hitter aboard in the first inning as UT???s Posey and Nebraska left fielder Darcy Rutherford each beat out an infield single.?? Only the Big Orange managed to get the occupant past first base as Posey advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from freshman second baseman Chandra Mogan and to third on a wild pitch unleashed by Husker pitcher Molly Hill.?? With two outs in the opening frame, Doepking walked to place two Lady Vols on the base paths.?? Unfortunately, a pop-up on the infield ended the inning with no Tennessee damage on the scoreboard.

The Red and White christened a one out threat in the bottom of the second against Ward.?? NU second baseman Julie Brechtel and right fielder Haley Long each located holes in the infield with consecutive ground ball singles, placing runners at first and second.?? UT???s 6-0 righthander struck out Husker third baseman Whitney Barrett swinging to register the second retirement of the frame.?? Shortstop Heidi Foland bounced a promising ball up the middle forcing Posey to race behind the second base bag in an attempt to make a play.?? The Los Angeles, Calif., native made an outstanding scoop on the run and dove towards second, tagging the base to force the runner and leaving two stranded.

UT finally broke through in the top of the fourth against Hill as Doepking led off the inning with a double to left field.?? Webb followed with a single to deep short to put two on base.?? Following a pop out to second and a possible missed hit-and-run call that cut down the lead runner trying to advance to third, UT had two outs and still nothing to show for their work on the scoreboard.?? Lapicki changed that with a single into center to plate Webb for a 1-0 lead.??

Rhodes entered in relief to begin the fourth and immediately took control from the circle.?? Despite permitting a two out single, the Nashville, Tenn., native managed to strikeout NU first baseman Crystal Carwile, catcher Amanda Duran and Long to K the side.

The Big Orange offense broke the match-up wide open in the top of the fifth by posting four runs on four hits to nab a commanding 5-0 advantage.?? In all nine Lady Vol batters stepped to the plate as Hammond opened the assault with an infield base hit to short and a swipe of second to reach scoring position.?? Two quick ground ball outs on the infield threatened to derail the rally, but Callahan would have none of that by blasting a towering shot to deep right for a two-run HR and a 3-0 lead.?? Doepking walked and Webb followed with a two-bagger down the right field line to place two more Orange & White occupants on the base paths.?? Huff ripped a double into the gap in left center that ricocheted off the wall as Webb and Doepking crossed home plate, improving the count to 5-0, UT.

Nebraska threatened with two singles in the bottom of the fifth but couldn???t get a run across against Rhodes setting the stage for the Big Orange to add more in the top of the sixth.?? Consecutive singles from Hammond and Posey as well as a throwing error on Nebraska placed runners at second and third.?? After a pair of groundouts, Doepking doubled into the gap in right center pushing Tennessee in front by seven.?? Webb singled to plate Doepking, and Huff later delivered an RBI base knock back up the middle to set the final offensive tally at 9-0.

With Nebraska needing a pair of tallies in the bottom of the sixth to avoid the run-rule, Rhodes refused to allow it to occur.?? She struck out two of the four total hitters she faced in the frame, closing out the victory.????????

No. 4 Tennessee will return to action on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. with a single home match-up against in-state foe Tennessee Tech at Lee Softball Stadium.?? 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).