March 28, 2003
Knoxville, Tenn. - The Western Kentucky University (16-17) softball team returned to action today in Knoxville, Tenn. with a pair of games in the First Tennessee Round Robin. The Lady Vols of Tennessee handed the Hilltoppers an 8-0 defeat in their first game of the day, but WKU rebounded with a 5-1 victory over Liberty.
Western will face both teams tomorrow before returning to Bowling Green for a midweek matchup with Evansville.
Tennessee 8, Western Kentucky 0 (5 innings)
Tennessee jumped all over the Hilltoppers early and often in WKU's opening game of the First Tennessee Round Robin. The Lady Vols tallied six runs off freshman Adrienne Lathrop in the second inning as they cruised to a - victory.
UT got on the board early as an RBI double from Katherine Card plated Sarah Fekete in the bottom of the first. Things didn't get any better in the second inning as Stacey Jennings led off the inning with her 10th home run of the season. The Lady Vols tacked on six runs in the inning off six hits before senior Kristalyn Smith came on in relief of Lathrop and finally got the Hilltoppers out of the inning.
Jennings hurled her sixth shutout of the season and allowed just two hits in the game, to sophomore Dana Rey and freshman Natasha Sevco, to improve to 16-7 on the year.
Western Kentucky 5, Liberty 1
The Hilltoppers rebounded with a 5-1 victory over Liberty in their second game of the First Tennessee Round Robin. Junior Samantha Hansen provided all the offense needed for starting pitcher Allison Silver, who improved to 8-8 with the win. Hansen blasted a three-run homer in the fourth inning to lead WKU to their 16th win of the year.
Sophomore Renita Pennington broke her fourth school record of the season in the top of the third by swiping her 13th base of the season. After reaching on a single, Pennington stole second base to break the record shared by teammate Jessie Richardson and Angela Dunhour (set in 2000).
Junior Riley Garcia put the Hilltoppers ahead, 1-0, in the top of the first with some smart base running, scoring off a groundout by Smith. The Hilltoppers pushed their advantage to 5-0 in the top of the fourth with a four-run outburst, highlighted by Hansen's third homer of the year which scored pinch runner Jennifer Hollingsworth and Rey. Senior Brandy Hawkins followed with a double, her second hit of the day, and later scored off an RBI single from Garcia.
The Lady Flames put an unearned run on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Amanda Maska scored on an RBI single from Allison Terry, but were unable to get any closer. Silver scattered seven hits over seven innings to pick up her eighth win of the year.
- WKU -
