Lady Vols fall in nightcap to LSU

Saturday, April 19

Knoxville, Tenn.

University of Tennessee

42-9, 12-8

LSU

34-13, 12-9

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

April 19, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ??? After taking the opener 8-0 (5 inn.), No. 9 Tennessee (42-9, 12-8 SEC) couldn???t overcome eight walks from the circle in dropping an 8-2 decision to No. 11 LSU (34-13, 12-9 SEC) in the finale of Saturday???s doubleheader at the Lee Softball Stadium.?? UT remains a half-game ahead of the Bayou Bengals for third in the league standings.??

Senior Tonya Callahan was walked four times by LSU starter Cody Trahan, meaning the 5-foot-8 third baseman reached safely all seven times she stepped to the plate this afternoon versus the Purple & Gold (2-2, 2 HR???s, 6 RBIs, 5 BB???s).?? The Holden, Mo., native is now hitting a staggering .511 (23-of-45) with 10 HR???s, 22 RBIs, a 1.222 slugging percentage and a .690 on-base percentage in her 20 total conference games in 2008.?? Counting her 23 walks in SEC play, Callahan has now reached safely on 46 of the 68 occasions it???s been her turn in the line-up.

The Lady Vols out-hit the Tigers 5-4, and managed its two runs via an RBI single in the first inning and a fielder???s choice in the fifth frame both off the bat of sophomore designated player Tiffany Huff (1-for-4).??

Senior pitcher Megan Rhodes allowed five earned runs on four hits, walked five and struck out two in falling to 19-6 on the season.?? Junior right hander Danielle Pieroni walked three during her one-third of an inning in relief.??

???I thought we played really well in the opener,??? Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly said.?? ???Ashton Ward pitched really well, and our offense got some timely hits.?? Tonya Callahan???s two home runs were amazing and occurred at critical times in the game.?? In the second contest, we managed to out-hit LSU 5-4 but struggled badly in the circle.?? In one inning two of our pitchers combined to walk seven batters.?? Rachel Mitchell???s home run was a shot and put us in a tough spot.?? What you saw today was two good teams, who both struggled at times, but who both will be stronger because of the battle.???

After LSU left runners stranded on the corners in the top of the first, Tennessee took advantage by jumping in front on the scoreboard with a tally in the bottom half.?? Senior shortstop Kenora Posey led off the frame by drawing a walk off Trahan and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior left fielder Lillian Hammond.?? After she blasted two home runs in the opener, LSU decided to intentionally walk Callahan this time around, placing runners at first and second with just one retired.?? Following a fly out from senior catcher Shannon Doepking, Huff delivered a bouncing base knock through the left side of the infield as Posey raced around from second to score for a 1-0 Lady Vol lead.?? The occurrence marked the 22nd time that Tennessee had scored in the first inning during the 2008 campaign.

With both teams??? offenses retired in order in the second, LSU left fielder Ashley Applegate christened the top of the third by drawing a walk off Rhodes.?? Designated player Dee Dee Henderson also walked placing two aboard for second baseman Shannon Stein.?? She ripped a single to third loading the bases for Rachel Mitchell.?? The center fielder came through for the Tigers by driving a grand slam to right center as the Bayou Bengals jumped in front 4-0.?? LSU catcher Killian Roessner singled down the left field line to end Rhodes??? first stint in the circle as Pieroni entered in relief.?? After Roessner was called out for leaving early, the Madison, Tenn., native in the circle for UT promptly walked three consecutive batters, loading the bases.?? Co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly re-entered Rhodes to pitch, and she battled third baseman Jessica Mouse over a marathon 14-pitch at-bat and to a 3-2 count before inducing a pop-up on the infield for the second out.?? Applegate worked full to 3-2 with the bases juiced and fouled off an offering before another free pass forced in the fifth Tiger score of the inning.?? Henderson drew the seventh walk of the inning bringing across another run as the Tigers nabbed a 6-1 lead.?? Stein followed with a double to right center plating two more as the advantage grew to 8-1.?? On the play, Henderson was thrown out at the dish on a strong relay in from right fielder Pieroni to retire the side.

In need of base runners, Callahan was walked and Doepking singled through the left side with two down in the bottom of the third.?? Unfortunately, the threat amounted to nothing as Huff popped up to third with Mouse squeezing the orb to register out number three.

Rhodes retired the Tigers in order in the top of the fourth as Mitchell grounded out to second and both Roessner and right fielder Quinlan Duhon were caught looking at strike three completing the inning.

Freshman first baseman Jen Lapicki singled off Trahan opening the bottom of the fourth.?? The Oldwick, N.J., native was joined on the basepaths by sophomore Nicole Kajitani with two down as the UT second baseman blooped a single into short right center.?? Sophomore Allison Fulmer stepped in as a pinch hitter but was retired on strikes as UT???s left-on-base total rose to six through four frames.

After LSU left a runner stranded in scoring position in the top of the fifth, freshman pinch hitter Kelly Grieve attempted to get something going for the Big Orange opening the bottom half with a bloop double down the left field line.?? Callahan was intentionally walked and freshman Kelsey Stander was summoned in as a pinch runner at first.?? Doepking took a pitch the opposite way to deep right but not quite far enough as Duhon caught the ball near the wall with Grieve advancing to third.?? Huff bounced into a fielder???s choice that retired Stander at second as Grieve crossed the dish cutting the deficit to 8-2.

As moderate rain began to fall, both teams went down on-two-three in the sixth and LSU went in order in the seventh as Tennessee faced its last offensive opportunity.

Callahan managed a two-out walk from Trahan in the bottom of the seventh and was joined on the bases by Doepking via free pass.?? A strikeout ended the contest, however, as LSU managed the 8-2 victory and a doubleheader split.

No. 9 Tennessee will complete its three-game series with No. 11 LSU on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.?? The rubber match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net (FSN), and live stats will be available through utladyvols.com.