The cold, windy, cloudy weather at Lee Softball Stadium late Tuesday afternoon was certainly not picture perfect for Tennessee’s home opener.
Neither was the way the Lady Vols struggled to score runs initially, or even the way they did finally take the lead in the fifth inning with the help of three errors.
In the end, however, after Tennessee scored four runs in the sixth on the way to a 6-0 victory over Lipscomb (7-7), the Tennessee coaches liked what they saw.
“I was pleased to get a 6-0 win,” said co-head coach Ralph Weekly. “Not that I don’t think we should have won, but I just thought they (the Bison) were a really good team. They beat Houston 10-1 and Houston is always a good team.”
Tennessee (14-2) began to take control in the fifth with the score still 0-0. Melissa Davin reached first base on an error, and then Hannah Akamine hit a hard shot that bounced off the second baseman into the outfield. The subsequent throw to third base was mishandled, and Davin scored for a 1-0 lead.
“I just wanted to get it done for my team and I wanted to capitalize on their mistakes,” said Davin. “I had confidence in my team, and I knew some way they would get me in.”
Tennessee went up 2-0 later in the inning on a Raven Chavanne sacrifice fly.
The sixth was more vintage Lady Vols, as this time they needed little help in scoring four more runs.
After Cheyanne Tarango singled, a hit by Lauren Gibson resulted in pinch runner Whitney Hammond scoring to put Tennessee up 3-0. Later in the inning, Davin had a two-RBI triple, and Akamine singled home another run.
While the lack of Tennessee scoring until later in the game might have given the 1,038 cold fans an additional reason to squirm, Chavanne said she was never worried.
“I knew we were going to get it done with our incredible lineup,” she said. “I knew it was going to happen eventually.”
UT pitcher Ivy Renfroe (5-0), who came in for younger sister Ellen Renfroe at the beginning of the fifth , was admittedly ready to go.
“When I got out there, I was amped up, but I relaxed,” the senior said of her one-hit performance.
John Shearer is a freelance contributor.
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Comments » 4
AlexAndersonAAradio writes:
I watched this game on a live stream. If Tusculum hadn't made a lot of errors this would have been a real close game. They had a pretty good pitcher. At the same time our team probably has a west coast hangover. That was pretty wild out there and just non stop from the time they left town. I don't know if it's true but I heard we outnumbered the UCLA crowd and it was played near LA.
AlexAndersonAAradio writes:
Another thing I heard about the UCLA game. The umpiring was clearly trying to help UCLA win and both Weekly's were going off all day on the umpires. Then Ralph went really crazy and got thrown out. Alcohol is sold at that venue and fans were just really in a drunken outrage and really going after that umpire. Just message board talk. I don't see fans really getting that crazy over a softball game, but times do change I guess, plus there was alcohol. It's pretty good sport. What I like most about it, it's the only sport besides women's basketball we win in.
voloffaith writes:
Lipscomb
AlexAndersonAAradio writes:
Oh sorryj! I did watch though. BTW, you can watch tomorrows game on the college of charleston web site for only $1.99. Unless something comes up I might have to check it out. I just can't tell you how much it means to me to see UT actually win in something besides w- basketball. The men usually make me so made I don't even want to watch any basketball so can't even enjoy what the women do until the sweet 16.
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