April 3, 2011
Knoxville, Tenn. - Tennessee pitcher Ellen Renfroe tossed a two-hit shutout as the No. 10/11 Lady Vols claimed a series win over the No. 21/22 Auburn softball team with an 8-0 victory in six innings Sunday afternoon.
Auburn's record dropped to 29-7 overall and 9-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee improved to 29-6 overall and 7-4 in the SEC. The Tigers return to action Wednesday, April 6, with a home double-header against the Mercer Bears. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Jane B. Moore Field.
"You have to give Tennessee credit, they came out and played very well today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Ellen (Renfroe) hit her spots and really kept us from putting anything together. We have to re-group now and get ourselves ready for the next week."
Angel Bunner (9-3) started and went three innings, allowing one run, earned, on three hits with two walks and one strikeout. Lauren Schmalz relieved Bunner and pitched two innings, allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Alyssia Palomino relieved Schmalz in the sixth and pitched one-third of an inning, allowing four runs, all earned, on two hits with five walks and no strikeouts.
Renfroe improved to 17-2 with the complete-game win. Renfroe scattered two hits, did not issue a walk and fanned six.
Tennessee plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning. The Lady Vols loaded the bases as the first three hitters all reached. Raven Chavanne reached on a infield single and was followed by Kelly Grieve who drew a walk. Lauren Gibson reached on a bunt single that sailed just past the outstretched arms of Kyndall White who charged in from third.
Jessica Spigner brought Chavanne home with a sacrifice fly to center to give Tennessee a 1-0 lead. Bunner, however, would limit the Lady Vols to just the one run in the inning.
Schmalz relieved Bunner to start the bottom of the fourth inning and quickly gave up a single through the right side to Shelby Burchell. Holly Baker pinch-ran for Burchell and moved to second on a sac bunt by Madison Shipman. After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Melissa Brown hit a pop-up to the edge of the grass at third that White and shortstop Lauren Guzman lost in the sun, allowing the ball to fall for a hit. With runners on the corners and two out and Chavanne at the plate, Eisterhold fired to Guzman covering third to pickoff Baker to end the inning.
After allowing a one-out single to Kelsey Cartwright in the second inning, Renfroe found a groove and retired the next 13 Auburn hitters. Morgan Estell broke the string with a two-out single in the top of the sixth inning. Renfroe would not allow the Tigers to mount a rally, though, as she forced White into an inning-ending ground out to second.
Tennessee broke the game open in the bottom half of the sixth inning. With Jessica Spigner (single) and Dotson (single) aboard, Burchell cranked a three-run home run that sailed into the parking lot behind the wall in right-center. It was Burchell's 10th home run of the season and gave the Lady Vols a 4-0 lead.
Palomino relieved Schmalz following the homer and walked three of the first four batters she faced to load the bases with one out. On a 3-2 pitch, Grieve laced a single to center that scored Shipman and pushed the lead to 5-0. Gibson followed with a single through the right side that plated Megan Brown to make it a 6-0 game.
With the bases still loaded, Palomino walked Spigner on four pitches to force Chavanne home for a 7-0 Lady Vols' lead. The game ended on the mercy rule when Palomino walked Dotson to force Grieve home for the final 8-0 margin.