Softball Drops SEC Opening Double-Header to #4 Tennessee
3/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
 |
|
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
KNOXVILLE, TN — The No. 8 ranked University of Alabama softball team got its Southeastern Conference season started on the wrong foot Saturday afternoon, dropping both ends of a double header 3-1 and 7-1 to the No. 4 ranked Tennessee Lady Vols. The Crimson Tide fell to 24-6, 0-2 for the season while UT improved to 29-3, 2-0 in the SEC.
Tennessee All-America pitcher Monica Abbott picked up both victories to improve to 20-1 for the season. Stephanie VanBrakle took the loss in game one for Alabama to fall to 10-3. Jennifer Wright picked up the loss in game two to fall to 8-2 for the Tide.
Alabama threatened in the first inning of the opening game. Jackie Wilkins opened the game with a line drive single and took second on a stolen base. Capper Reed later reached first after being hit by a pitch, but both runners were left stranded.
Tennessee got on the board in the bottom of the first inning on a two out RBI single from Shannon Doepking that scored Sarah Fekete to give the Lady Vols a 1-0 advantage.
From there, Abbott took control for UT, retiring 11 straight Tide hitters at one point.
Alabama came close to tying the game in the sixth inning, but Leah White was thrown out at the plate trying to score following an errant throw from Tennessee second baseman Ashley Cline.
The Lady Vols added a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two run home run from Lindsay Schutzler to take a 3-0 lead.
Dominique Accetturo scored the only run of the game for Alabama when she hit a solo homer with two outs in the top of the seventh.
The second game started better for Alabama, with the Tide scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Wilkins once again led off the game with a single. Ashley Courtney followed with another single. Staci Ramsey drove in UA's only run with a single up the middle that scored Wilkins from second base. However, the Tide's rally was cut short when Courtney was thrown out at the plate by Tennessee leftfielder Katherine Card when she attempted to score on a fly out by Stephanie VanBrakle that ended the inning.
Tennessee jumped all over Tide starter Jennifer Wright in their half of the first inning. The Lady Vols scored seven runs on the Alabama senior in just a third of an inning to take a 7-1 lead.
That would be all of the offense either team could muster, as Tennessee cruised to victory.
The Tide wraps up its SEC opening series tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. CT tomorrow. Live stats for the game can be seen at www.rolltide.com.
