Florida finishes what Lady Vols start, 11-3

Tennessee showed it wasn't intimidated by two-time defending SEC champion Florida by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning.

The No. 1-ranked Gators showed the Lady Vols why they should have been, responding with four runs in the bottom of the first and four more in the second of an SEC tournament semifinal game at Lee Stadium.

The Gators hit three consecutive home runs at one point en route to an 11-3 five-inning victory Friday night.

"We scored three runs on them and they didn't even looked fazed,'' UT freshman Jessica Spigner said. "They are the epitome of what a great team is.''

UT (38-16-1), No. 13 in the RPI ratings, will learn Sunday if it will be one of the 16 sites selected for the four-team NCAA Regionals for a fifth consecutive year.

Florida (54-3) plays No. 3-ranked Alabama (47-8) at 1:30 today (TV: FSS) in the championship game. The Gators have won 20 straight, the Tide has won 14 in a row. The teams met in last year's championship game with Florida winning 4-1.

The Gators took two of three from Alabama this season, run-ruling the Tide 9-1 and 10-1 on March 28 before Bama won 6-4 the next day.

That was the last time the Gators trailed in an SEC game until the Lady Vols put up three runs to open the game.

Jen Lapicki drove in the first by drilling a line drive through the glove of Florida third baseman Corrie Brooks. Erinn Webb followed with a two-run double.

The Gators cut the deficit against UT freshman Cat Hosfield (28-12) when Ali Gardiner hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning.

The Lady Vols nearly escaped the first with the lead, but Webb missed a diving attempt along the right field line, resulting in a run-scoring triple. Another Florida single made it 4-3 before Hosfield retired the side.

The Gators made a pitching change to start the second, pulling starter Stephanie Brombacher in favor of SEC pitcher of the year Stacey Nelson (34-3).

The Lady Vols loaded the bases, but Lapicki bounced out to end the inning.

Sophomore pitcher Ashton Ward started the second for UT, but she couldn't finish it after Florida blasted three consecutive home runs - Francesca Enea, Kelsey Bruder and Brooks - making it 8-3. Senior Danielle Pieroni came in to retire the final out.

Pieroni was pulled after giving up two singles and unleashing a wild pitch to start the third. Hosfield re-entered and retired the side, but not before the Gators added another run.

Florida scored in every inning with Bruder's two-out RBI double in the fifth serving as the final blow that brought the eight-run rule into effect.

"We come out and score three runs in the first inning against a team that gave up 41 (runs) all year, then our pitching gives it away,'' UT co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. "This ain't gonna continue into next year. I'm going to get it fixed.''

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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