Lady Vols roll in softball home opener

Tennessee freshman softball stars Cat Hosfield and Jessica Spigner didn’t waste any time making themselves feel at home in Lee Stadium on Tuesday.

The Lady Vols ran their record to 7-0 in home openers under co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly with an 11-1, five-inning victory over Liberty.

UT, ranked No. 8, improved to 15-1 this season while dropping the Flames to 0-6 behind Hosfield’s one-hit pitching and Spigner’s 3-for-3 performance at the plate.

“I get nervous — a good nervous — before every game,’’ said Hosfield, last year’s National High School School Coaches Association national player of the year at Murfreesboro Riverdale. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.’’

Hosfield, 11-1, threw four innings of scoreless ball, fanning four while walking one. Sophomore Ashton Ward pitched the fifth, surrendering two hits and a run.

Spigner, last year’s EA Sports National High School Player of the Year at Valencia High in California, went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and her sixth home run.

The UT freshman record for home runs is 13, set by Carrie Swinford in 1996. The season record (16) was set by Tonya Callahan last year.

Don’t tell Spigner, who at this rate will shatter both marks.

“I don’t even want to know what the records are,’’ said Spigner, who took over at third base in place of the departed Callahan. “I don’t like keeping track of statistics.

“I’m here to play ball and have fun, and we’re having fun.’’

Ralph Weekly said he’s aiming for his young team (UT starts five freshmen with one senior) to take a more aggressive approach.

A sign in the dugout encourages the team to “ATTACK!’’

“We’ve challenged our kids to come out and attack, because in previous years when we play non-conference teams we’ve tended to sit back,’’ Ralph Weekly said. “We want to be an aggressive team; we need to be to get where we want to be.’’

SEC rivals Alabama and Florida stand atop the totem pole, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation. The Gators have eight returning starters and six seniors, while the Tide have eight returning starters and five seniors.

The Lady Vols return to action at 2:30 p.m. Friday against Bowling Green in the Tennessee Classic at Lee Stadium.

UT plays James Madison on Friday at 5 p.m., and on Saturday plays North Dakota State (1:30 p.m.) and North Carolina (4 p.m.) before concluding with a 2 p.m. Sunday game against Marshall.