Feb. 25, 2011

Box Score

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - Eighth-ranked Tennessee scored six runs of its seven runs with two outs and thwarted LMU's comeback attempts, 7-2 at the Cathedral City Classic on Friday. Junior Sam Fischer extended her hitting streak to eight games with a two-run double in the Lions' (5-5) first of three games against ranked opponents this weekend.

Already playing their fourth game of the tournament, the Lady Vols (13-2) scored twice in the first, three times in the fourth, and twice more in eighth, getting clutch hits to score six of their seven runs with two outs. Cat Hosfield and Ellen Renfroe (5-1) combined on a two-hitter, with Renfroe picking up the victory with four innings of no-hit, nine-strikeout relief.

Trailing 5-0 in the fourth, the Lions turned to their top two hitters to get the offense going. Sophomore Danielle Smith led off with a single and senior Amy Charpentier walked. A wild pitch moved the runners up and Fischer knocked them in, lacing her team-leading fifth double of the year down the leftfield line to chase Hosfield. On came Renfroe, who unleashed a wild pitch and walked junior Kelly Sarginson to give the Lions runners on first and third with no outs. But Renfroe struck out sophomore Olivia Alvarez, freshman Kathryn Dutton, and sophomore Skylar Segura to end LMU's best threat.

Making her season debut, freshman Stevie Goldstein (0-1) allowed five runs on eight hits over four innings before giving way to sophomore Molly Medeiros, who gave up two runs on five hits in three innings.

Tennessee pulled ahead in the top of first on Jessica Spigner's two-out single. Ashley Andrews' one-out triple in the fourth extended Tennessee's lead to 3-0 and, one out later, Raven Chavanne made it 5-0 with a two-run homer to center, one of her three hits on the night. After the Vols escaped LMU's comeback effort in the fourth, they tacked on two more runs in the sixth when Kelly Grieve drove in two with a two-out single to center.

The Lions continue play at the Cathedral City Classic with a pair of Saturday games. LMU will face #11 Texas at 1 p.m., followed by Indiana at 8 p.m.