Huff's GW RBI leads UT past ETSU, 4-3

Wednesday, April 2

Knoxville, Tenn.

University of Tennessee

32-7

ETSU

16-23

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
ETSU	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	6	0
Tennessee	0	1	0	0	2	0	1	4	9	0

April 02, 2008 | Softball

Box Score

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ??? A seventh-inning RBI single off the bat of sophomore catcher Tiffany Huff proved the telling blow as No. 12 Tennessee (32-7, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) outlasted a game East Tennessee State squad in the opener of a Wednesday evening doubleheader, 4-3, at the Lee Softball Stadium.

Senior third baseman Tonya Callahan led a nine-hit Lady Vol offensive attack by knocking in two runs via a triple in the fifth frame.?? The three-bagger extended the Holden, Mo., native???s hitting streak to nine games, just one short of her season high.?? Freshmen Kelly Grieve (2-of-4, run scored) and Jen Lapicki (2-of-3, run scored) each posted a pair of base knocks in the contest, while Huff (1-of-4) and sophomore Erinn Webb (1-of-3) both registered single RBIs.

Freshman hurler Ashton Ward earned her 18th win of the season by throwing a single inning of one-hit relief with a strikeout.?? Senior pitcher Megan Rhodes started for Tennessee in the circle allowing three earned runs on five hits over six frames with eight strikeouts and just one walk.??????

After posting two quick outs in the top of the first, Rhodes found herself in a little early trouble as pitcher Marissa Hardy blooped a single just over the head of shortstop Kenora Posey and into short left center.?? Catcher Trisha Massenzo followed with a double off the glove of diving left fielder Lillian Hammond that bounced free and back towards the infield.?? With runners at second and third, ETSU designated player Katie Henderson lifted a fly ball to left that Hammond squeezed stranding a pair of Lady Bucs on the base paths.

Grieve battled Hardy right from the start in the bottom half of the first inning seeing 10 total pitches before looking at a called strike three.?? Rookie second baseman Chandra Mogan dropped a slow roller to short, and beat the throw from Cheniece Cason becoming Tennessee???s initial base runner.?? Unfortunately, Callahan fouled out to first baseman Amanda Haverman, and senior designated player Shannon Doepking flew to center to conclude the inning.

Following a one-two-three frame from Rhodes, the Lady Vol offense got untracked with one down in the bottom of the second.?? Lapicki opened the threat with a clean bouncing single through the right side of the infield.?? Webb launched a rocket to deep left that traveled over the head of Kate Powell before bounding off the wall.?? Lapicki scored on the double as Webb ended up stationed at third base on the fruitless throw to home plate.?? Unfortunately for the Big Orange, a strikeout and a ground out to first ended the inning with just one run tallied on the scoreboard.

Rhodes stretched her streak of consecutive hitters retired to 10 with two K???s and a routine groundout to short off the bat of Henderson to conclude the top of the fourth.

With Tennessee maintaining its 1-0 advantage, Powell became the first ETSU batter to reach base since the top of the first by drawing a one out walk off Rhodes in the fifth.?? Lady Buc third baseman Jessie Hackworth bounced a shot down to Callahan at third.?? The Holden, Mo., native corralled the ball, turned and cut down the lead runner at second via a fielder???s choice.?? McCoy struck out looking to end the frame as she became Rhodes??? seventh strikeout victim of the match-up.

Posey opened the bottom of the fifth with a single just over short and into left center.?? The Los Angeles, Calif., native advanced 60 feet to second on an infield base knock from Grieve as UT posted a pair on the base paths with still none retired.?? Mogan dropped a sacrifice bunt out in front of the plate to move both runners into scoring position.?? That brought Callahan to the dish with a chance to break the contest open.?? She blasted a ball deep to left center that dropped in between two Lady Buc fielders for a stand-up triple plating a pair for a 3-0 lead.?? Doepking hit into a fielder???s choice as freshman pinch runner Kelsey Stander was caught in a rundown between third base and home.?? With two down Huff flew out to left center ending the frame.??

Desperately needing to get a threat going with time running short, ETSU???s Jett led off the top of the sixth with a hard base hit back up the middle.?? After a foul out, a fielder???s choice went awry for the Orange & White as a throw to second off a ground ball was late allowing the Lady Bucs to place runners at first and second with one down.?? Massenzo struck out getting Rhodes closer to escaping the jam.?? Henderson stepped to the dish, however, and ripped a 1-1 pitch to the wall in left center scoring Jett to cut the deficit to 3-1.?? After a visit to the circle by pitching coach Marty McDaniel, Haverman drove a pitch into left field allowing Hardy and Henderson to cross the dish and deadlock the count at 3-3.?? A dangerous liner from Powell traveled right to Callahan at third finally concluding the frame as the Lady Bucs tallied three times on three hits.

Lapicki responded immediately for the Big Orange offense opening the bottom half of the sixth by hammering a shot past the second baseman and all the way to the wall for a big lead-off double.?? Webb took a pitch the other way but unfortunately hit it right at Hackworth as the third baseman snagged the liner for a big first out.?? Hammond bounced back to the pitcher for out number two as freshman pinch runner Natalee Weissinger raced into third.?? Posey tried to slap her way on by lacing a ground ball back up the middle.?? The sphere traveled under Hardy???s glove in the circle, but shortstop Cason raced over and managed to snag the ball, throwing just in time to cut down Posey and leave the potential go-ahead run stranded at third.??

Ward entered in the top of the seventh in relief of Rhodes and immediately settled things down from the circle.?? Hackworth bounced out to short and pinch hitter Ashley Boyd struck out swinging for two quick outs.?? Jett came through again with a single back up the box to keep the ETSU inning alive.?? Hammond squeezed a fly ball to left field off the bat of Cason for the third out as Tennessee ventured to the bottom of the seventh with the last chance in regulation to win the contest.

Grieve opened the last of the seventh frame with a slap single to left field.?? Mogan battled Hardy to 3-2 before walking to put two aboard with the power-hitting Callahan stepping to the plate.?? She bounced straight down the line to Hackworth, who made the grab, tagged third base and threw across the diamond for a big double play.?? Doepking also worked the count full before walking as Mogan advanced to third on a wild pitch on ball four.?? Huff got ahead of Hardy 3-0 before blasting the game-winning RBI single off the glove of a leaping Hackworth at third and into left field as Mogan crossed for the 4-3 victory.????????????????????????????????

No. 9 Tennessee continues its Wednesday evening doubleheader at the Lee Softball Stadium at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.?? Live stats will be available through utladyvols.com and, as always, periodic updates of the UT games will be recorded on the Lady Vol Hotline (865-974-8700, box #6).