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It was the stuff dreams are made of through four innings for the Tennessee softball program against the U.S. Olympic team Saturday afternoon.

Tonya Callahan and Jen Lapicki hit solo homers off former Tennessee All-American Monica Abbott in the first and second innings, and the Lady Vols maintained a one-run lead over the best team in the world heading into the fifth inning.

It was a miracle on grass in the making at Lee Softball Stadium.

"But you saw how the Olympians responded,'' said UT coach Ralph Weekly, who won two gold medals as an Olympic hitting coach in 1996 and 2000. "There was no panic, they left Monica (Abbott) in, and she and they did what they needed to do.''

Team USA's Jessica Mendoza hit a two-run homer that gave the Olympians a 3-2 lead, and Kelly Kretschman added a solo shot in the fifth for a 4-2 victory.

Abbott (6-0) closed out her complete game victory in dominant fashion.

"I never felt the game was out of control, I just had to throw my best pitches,'' said Abbott, who didn't allow another hit after Lapicki's line-drive homer with one out in the second inning. "It was hard to play against my former teammates; they know me well.''

Lapicki caught for Abbott during fall workouts, and Callahan played alongside her for three years at UT.

Weekly, who serves as co-head coach with his wife, Karen, said UT had a game plan.

"It was to move to the back of the box and make her throw strikes,'' Weekly said. "We don't often do that, but obviously we have great respect for Monica.''

Callahan worked the count to 3-2 on Abbott before delivering a shot that cleared the flagpoles in center.

"I knew from playing with Monica that sometimes she'll miss and eventually bring it to the right spot,'' Callahan said. "I think it was a rise ball - but I'm not sure how much it rose.''

Lapicki lined a homer over the right-center wall in the second on a pitch Abbott said she left "flat.''

"I'm very proud of what UT did today,'' Abbott said. "I hope they'll use this experience to catapult them the rest of the season.''

Weekly said that's the plan, particularly for his pitching staff, which has had its struggles even as UT (40-7) has earned the No. 11 national ranking.

"They (pitchers) saw they can compete with the best in the world,'' Weekly said.

Senior Megan Rhodes, who started for the Lady Vols, said Callahan's blast took some pressure off.

"None of us thought we'd score a run for sure,'' said Rhodes, referring to the U.S. team shutting out 18 of its previous 21 opponents. "This will be a good reminder for me on the tough days; I had it going against the best in the world for a while.''

Weekly pulled Rhodes with no out and runners on first and third in the top of the third and went to Danielle Pieroni, a seldom-used junior who has been long on potential and short on pitching production.

One of the most decorated pitchers in Tennessee high school history, Pieroni responded, allowing a run to score on a sacrifice fly before escaping the inning with UT's lead intact. Pieroni put the Olympians down in order before the U.S. struck for three in the fifth.

"Pieroni has shown us she wants the ball, and she has a ton of talent,'' Weekly said. "On the home runs they hit, it was just a case of her missing her spots.''

UT freshman pitcher Ashton Ward benefited from her 21<0x2044>3 innings by holding the Olympians hitless.

"I have struggled lately, but I know I have it in me,'' Ward said. "Of course I was nervous today, but it was good nerves.''

There were good vibes throughout the capacity crowd of 1,622 who saw Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt throw out the first pitch on a day the stadium was officially dedicated.

The good feelings carried into the Lady Vols' dugout; Weekly played all 17 of the UT players in uniform.

"We play every game to win,'' Weekly said. "But playing everyone was something I wanted to do. I'm very proud of this softball team today.''

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.