March 26, 2011
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 11 Tennessee (26-5, 4-3 SEC) came out on fire in the first and captured a 10-3 lead over South Carolina (17-14, 3-9 SEC) on Saturday afternoon at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Gamecock junior centerfielder Lauren Lackey led the Gamecocks with a 2-for-3 day, driving in a run, while senior catcher P.J. Fulmer had one of South Carolina’s two doubles, stretching her team lead to eight. Tennessee’s Raven Chavanne had three RBI in a 2-for-4 afternoon, while Lauren Gibson went 4-for-4 with two RBI singles, a double and two runs scored. Shelby Burchell also had two hits and two RBI for the Lady Vols.
Tennessee got all the runs it needed in the first when 11 Lady Vols came to the plate in a six-run inning. Four of them had RBI singles, with Gibson and Chelsea O’Conner both getting one RBI with their hits and Burchell and Chavanne posting two-RBI hits in the frame. The lead grew to 7-0 on Gibson’s RBI single in the fourth, as she drove in Kelly Grieve for the second time.
South Carolina cut the lead to four in the sixth, as Fulmer’s double drove home sophomore rightfielder Hannah Milks after she started the inning with a double. Junior Evan Childs moved to third on Fulmer’s two-bagger, and she scored on Lackey’s infield single. The throw to first got away from the covering second baseman, allowing pinch runner Kylie Morin to score as well and make it 7-3.
But Tennessee answered in the bottom of the sixth, getting all three runs back. Gibson singled to start the inning and scored on a Kierstyn White wild pitch. Ashley Andrews and Chavanne followed later with RBI singles.
Lady Vol starter Ivy Renfroe (8-2) struck out six while allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and two walks in 5.2 innings, earning the victory. South Carolina freshman Julie Sarratt took the loss, giving up all six earned runs in the first on four hits and three walks. She got two outs in two different stints in the game.
The Gamecocks will try to take the last game of the series on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. EDT.
