Offensive attack guides Lady Vols

12 runs are most ever scored in single game by UT in series against Bulldogs A tough defeat in the opener gave way to perhaps No. 4 Tennessee’s most dominant effort of the entire season as the Lady Vols (48-7, 19-7 SEC) downed No. 9 Georgia (49-12, 23-6 SEC), 12-0 (5 inn.), to split Saturday’s conference doubleheader at the UGA Softball Complex in Athens, Ga. The 12 runs were the most ever scored by the Big Orange in a single match-up against the Red & Black. Sophomore hurler Megan Rhodes (14-1) was thoroughly dominant in her five innings of work in the circle by allowing just two hits with eight strikeouts. Sophomore first baseman Tonya Callahan continued her SEC-leading RBI attack with a 2-for-2, five-RBI performance and her first career grand slam, while junior shortstop Lindsay Schutzler was 2-for-4 with four RBI and a three-run bomb to center. Junior designated player India Chiles was 3-for-4, and freshman left fielder Danielle Pieroni doubled in a pair of runs. “We had some outstanding play in both games today,” said Lady Vol co-head coach Ralph Weekly. “Unfortunately in the first game we had four errors and a big base running miscue that hurt us. When you are playing against a team as good as Georgia, you need to bring your ‘A’ game. In the second game Megan Rhodes deserves a ton of credit for the outstanding game she pitched. There were many heroes offensively but Tonya Callahan and Lindsay Schutzler hitting a grand slam and a three-run home run were critical. We know we will face a very tough Georgia squad on Sunday. We look forward to the challenge. Having missed a slew of opportunities in the opener, Tennessee wasted no time in jumping on UGA hurler Katie Griffith in the top of the first in plating three runs on three hits and a pair of walks. Fekete led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a single through the left side by Chiles. With two on and no one out, Schutzler delivered an RBI double into the gap in left center to score Fekete for a 1-0 lead. Callahan drilled a sacrifice fly to right that brought Chiles home with UT’s second run. Schutzler was allowed to cross from third to make it 3-0 for the Big Orange as Griffith uncorked a wild pitch during Card’s at-bat. UGA’s hurler settled down to strikeout a pair of Lady Vol hitters but the damage had already been done. Despite allowing a one out walk to left fielder Courtney Knight, Rhodes was dominant in the bottom of the first as the Nashville, Tenn., native struck out two of the four hitters she faced including designated player Chelsea Cantillo looking to set the tone from the circle. Freshman second baseman Liane Horiuchi led off the top of the second inning by battling Griffith into a walk. Fekete’s sacrifice bunt attempt was popped up but Griffith misplayed the ball for an error to allow runners at first and second with no one down. Chiles reached for a single by laying down a perfect bunt just inside the third base line to load the bags. After a strikeout by Schutzler, the power-hitting Callahan stepped into the batter’s box for UT. The Holden, Mo., native delivered in a big way with her career-high 12th home run of the season by blasting her first career grand slam over the left field scoreboard to grant Tennessee a commanding 7-0 advantage. The grand slam was the first for the Big Orange this season. That signaled the end of the day for Griffith as head coach Lu Harris-Champer summoned in hurler Katie Backer to finally close out the inning. Rhodes continued to cruise along in the bottom of the second by retiring the Bulldogs one-two-three as first baseman Jessica Doucette popped to short, right fielder Ashley Godfrey struck out and shortstop Alison Horne fouled out to left field. Fekete got a two-out attack going in the top of the third as the Maryville, Tenn., native reached on a walk. Chiles slapped a ball to short and beat the throw to first to grant UT a pair of base runners for Schutzler. The Monterey, Calif., product exhibited her power by drilling a three-run home run to deep center field for her second big fly of the campaign and an incredible 10-0 Lady Vol advantage. With Georgia still searching for the elusive third retirement of the frame, Callahan walked and Card laced a grounder up the middle to place runners at first and second once again in the inning. Pieroni drove a shot into the left center gap for a double to plate two more scores for a 12-0 lead. The 12 runs marked the most Tennessee has ever scored in a single contest against Georgia and the most tallies for UT in a Southeastern Conference match-up since posting a 12-0 (5) victory at South Carolina on March 15, 2005. After falling behind by a dozen scores, pinch hitter Charvi Greer blooped the first hit off Rhodes down the left field line to lead-off the bottom of the third. The runner was sacrificed up 60 feet by second baseman Sojourner Moody, but was called out one batter later by interfering in sophomore Kenora Posey’s clean fielding of Kellie Middleton’s ground ball to short. With two down Knight laced a single into left field that was corralled by new left fielder Schutzler. She came up throwing and hurled a strike to the plate. Doepking grabbed the ball cleanly and applied the tag to cut down Middleton and keep UGA off the scoreboard. Rhodes retired the last six Georgia batters she faced over the fourth and fifth innings (five K’s) to close out her career-best single-season tying 14th triumph of the season.