April 18, 2006
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – All-America pitcher Monica Abbott recorded her 30th win and 18th shutout of the season as she led the Tennessee Lady Vols to a 7-0 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks in game one Tuesday afternoon. South Carolina fell to 24-23 and 4-14 in the SEC while the Lady Vols improved to 42-6 and 13-6. Abbott (30-5) gave up two hits and struck out 13, while USC starter Kate Pouliot (4-6) allowed the seven runs on 10 hits.
Abbott held the Gamecocks to zero hits through 6.2 innings before Chrissy Schoonmaker lobbed a hit to left center field and Christie Hamilton followed with a single to right field in the top of the seventh. That would be all that USC would record in the game but it prevented Abbott from recording her seventh no-hitter of the season.
Tennessee started the bottom half of the first with three runs on three hits to take a 3-0 lead early in the game. Sarah Fekete scored on an RBI single by Lindsay Schutzler, Liane Horiuchi on an RBI groundout by Tonya Callahan and Schutzler came home on a two-out RBI single by Jennifer Griffin. USC got out of the inning when Pouliot struck out Shannon Doepking.
The Lady Vols loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third when the Gamecocks were able to make a play at the plate for their first out of the inning. Katherine Card grounded to short and reached on a fielder’s choice as Hamilton connected with catcher Ashley Smith for the out at home. UT did score on a sacrifice fly in foul territory by Griffin, as Schutzler scored her second run of the game and extended the Lady Vols’ lead to 4-0. USC got out of the inning on a smart defensive move by Schoonmaker, who recovered a line drive hit at first base, made a quick throw to home to get the out and moved the game into the fourth.
Jessica Josker drew a lead off walk in the fourth to break up the perfect game and provided USC its first base runner of the game. Josker reached second on a groundout but the Gamecocks were unable to execute and drive in the run.
Tennessee loaded the bases again in the fourth and added another run on an RBI single by Callahan, her second of the game.
In the sixth, Callahan rocketed a two-out, two-run home run over the 40-feet fence and onto the interstate located behind centerfield to tack on additional runs and increased UT’s lead, and the eventual final score, 7-0.
