University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Stanford University
#21 Stanford Rolls Past Lady Vols, 9-0
February 19, 2000 | Softball
- Box Score
Hoping to maintain its momentum after a Friday afternoon victory over Sacramento State, the Lady Vol softball team faced 21st-ranked Stanford in evening action at the Campbell/Cartier Classic hosted by San Diego State. The Cardinal had other ideas, however, and coasted to a 9-0 romp that was halted after five innings due to the eight-run rule.
Stanford wasted little time in reaching Tennessee freshman pitcher Nicole Murray, who was making her second start. SU catcher Kellie Wiginton led off the top of the first with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to shortstop Robin Walker and a ground out by Cardinal center fielder Jessica Mendoza, Murray hit cleanup batter Sarah Beeson to load the bases. A walk to Maureen LeCocq brought home Wiginton with the first run of the afternoon and a single to right field by Cassi Brangham gave Stanford a 2-0 cushion. A sacrifice fly to deep center field Jenni Shideler plated Beeson with the third run off the stanza. In all, the Pac-10 school tallied three runs on two hits and left two runners aboard in the first frame.
The Cardinal would add four more runs in the second to chase Murray and assume full control of the contest. The Lady Vol hurler would last just one full inning and gave up seven earned runs on four hits, four walks, while hitting one batter and uncorking a pair of wild pitches.
Although UT freshman reliever Leslie Poole would yield only one run in her three innings of work, the Orange and White's offense could not break into the scoring column off Stanford's duo of Dana Sorensen and Tori Nyberg. Tennessee mustered three hits in the game, as junior left fielder Janette Koshell was a perfect 2-for-2 with a single and double and senior third baseman Amanda Venable stroked a base-hit to left field. In all, the Cardinal held a commanding 11-3 advantage in hits.
Murray endured the defeat to fall to 0-1, and Poole went three innings and gave up five hits while striking out three. Freshman Stephanie Humphrey allowed two hits and a run in the fifth, although she did fan of pair of SU hitters. Nyberg tossed three innings of shutout ball and whiffed five en route to her first win of 2000.
Tennessee is now 3-4 overall, with all four setbacks being shutouts. Last season, the Lady Vols were blanked six times over their 71 games. Stanford improves to 8-1 overall, including 1-1 in this weekend's tournament. UT will have two more games tomorrow: at 3:30 p.m. PT against top-ranked UCLA (12-2) and at 8:30 p.m. PT versus Cal State Northridge (3-3-1).
