Tigers Sweep Doubleheader with UT Martin

Wednesday, April 1

Memphis, Tenn.

6 PM

University of Memphis

16-18

Tennessee-Martin

18-16

UT Martin

Memphis

Apr 01, 2009 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

April 1, 2009

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475

Game Two
UT Martin (18-16)  002 010 001  -  4  9  4
Memphis (16-18)    000 120 002  -  5  7  0
W: Walle (5-6) L: Harper (7-6)
HR: UTM- Bain (9)

Game One
UT Martin  000 101 0  -  2   9  1
Memphis    201 004 x  -  7  11  0
W: Valle (6-8) L: Jones (6-5)

MEMPHIS - The University of Memphis softball team swept a midweek doubleheader against the University of Tennessee at Martin on Wednesday at the Tiger Softball Complex.

The Tigers (16-18) earned a 7-2 victory in game one and then twice came from behind to earn a 5-4 win with a walk-off RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two.

Junior Vanessa Walle pitched five innings of relief in the second game comeback victory and knocked in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field to score senior Leila Dolfo. Walle improved to 5-6 on the season in the circle, allowing one run on five hits with a strikeout.

"I'm really proud of Vanessa and how she came in and pitched," said Memphis head coach Windy Thees. "Vanessa kept the ball low, she hit her spots, she worked through all of her pitches and she really did a nice job."

Freshmen Jessica Phillips and Lelani Bernardino both had a pair of hits in each game to lead Memphis at the plate. Phillips hit a pair of doubles in game one and had the game-winning RBI in the third inning. Sophomore Maddie McKinley had three extra base hits in the double dip and doubled and tripled in game two.

The Tigers jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game one and scored a third run in the third inning. The Skyhawks came within one with runs in the fourth and sixth, but Memphis scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to coast to the 7-2 victory.

Dolfo had a two-run single in the sixth inning and senior Tori Gross scored two runs in the game. Memphis outhit UT Martin 11-9 in the game.

Sophomore Janelle Valle (6-8) threw seven innings and scattered nine hits for the win. Valle allowed two earned runs and struck out two with only one walk.

In game two, UT Martin took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the third inning. Memphis scored its first run of the game in the fourth inning on a RBI single by senior Leandra Hines to score freshman Kamri Chester from third.

The Skyhawks added to its lead with a run in the fifth on a solo home run by Jenny Bain, but the Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the inning with two runs to tie the game. Dolfo and Bernadino scored after a throwing error at second on a sharply hit ground ball by junior Leigh Rowan who recorded an RBI on the play.

The score remained tied into the ninth inning when UT Martin took a 4-3 lead on a two-out single to right field by Megan Williams to score Erin Driskell.

In the bottom of the inning, McKinley hit a one-out double to right field and scored on a RBI single up the middle from Bernardino to tie the game. After walks to Dolfo and Gross to load the bases, Walle knocked in the walk-of game winner with her sacrifice fly.

Kara Harper (7-6) suffered the loss for UT Martin, pitching all eight and two thirds innings. She allowed four earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.

Memphis next travels to Huntington, W.Va., for a three-game conference series at Marshall. The Tigers will play a doubleheader with the Thundering Herd on Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. (EST). The two teams will then close the series with a game on Sunday beginning at noon.