Lady Vol magic runs out in semis

Posted: Monday, June 7, 2010 2:49 pm
By: By The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Tennessee softball team finally ran out of magic on Sunday.
UT, which was dismissed by many experts as being a couple years away from national title contention, finished just one victory short of a berth in the Women’s College World Series best-of-three national title round.
The Lady Vols’ final defeat was a 5-2 decision to No. 3 Arizona on Sunday night at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. UT was also run-ruled by Arizona (8-0 in five innings) in an afternoon game that forced the do-or-die night game for the Lady Vols.
The Wildcats begin play tonight in the national title series against UCLA.
Tennessee (49-15) finished its season tied for third on the NCAA grandest softball stage. The program has not finished any lower than third during any of the program’s four WCWS appearances (2005-07 and 2010).
Arizona 5, UT 2
Freshman right hander and Trinity Christian Academy product Ivy Renfroe, who finished the season with a 31-6 record, allowed five runs on 12 hits with two walks and six strikeouts over six innings of work while throwing 136 total pitches in Sunday’s nightcap.
The first score of the game came across the pay station when Lauren Gibson drew a walk to force in Raven Chavanne.
The Lady Vols also struck for a second run in the third inning when Gibson scored on a Tiffany Huff bloop single.
Arizona finally got on the board in the bottom of the third when Stacie Chambers hammered a two-run homer down the left field line to deadlock the game at 2-all.
In the bottom of the fifth, a lead-off base knock from K’Lee Arredondo and a one-out single to center from Bridgette Del Ponte plated a run to give the Wildcats the lead for good.
Arizona 8, UT 0
The Wildcats returned the favor early on Sunday.
After being run-ruled by UT on Thursday, Arizona gave the Lady Vols a dose of that same bitter medicine in front of 6,838 fans and a national viewing audience.
Tennessee’s offense was limited to just two hits by a combination of Arizona hurlers Kenzie Fowler and Sarah Akamine. Senior catcher Tiffany Huff and freshman pinch hitter Melissa Brown each delivered singles during the bottom of the fifth for UT

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