The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Tennessee (W)
Softball Falls To No. 6 Tennessee, 3-1
4/16/2006 | Softball
April 16, 2006
Box Score
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Ole Miss softball team got a stellar pitching performance from senior right-hander Dana Brill, but it was not enough to knock off nationally-ranked No. 6 Tennessee, as the Rebels fell 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Tennessee Field at Tyson Park.
Brill (7-13) pitched a complete game and gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits and struck out two. Four of Tennessee's five hits were by way of infield bunt singles.
The Rebels (15-31, 3-17 SEC) managed five hits off two-time All-American pitcher Monica Abbott (29-5), who earned the complete-game victory giving up one run and striking out six.
"I thought we hit the ball well today," said Ole Miss head coach Missy Dickerson. "We couldn't get enough hits to capitalize when we had runners in scoring position, and Tennessee did. Dana pitched really well today, too. I saw some improvement in our play overall this weekend."
Senior center fielder Stacy McCommon led Ole Miss at the plate with a hit in each of her two at-bats on the day. She also scored the Rebels' lone run.
Tennessee (41-6, 12-6 SEC) got a quick score in the bottom of the first inning after leadoff hitter Lindsay Schutzler reached on a bunt single and stole second, and Sarah Fekete then bunted and senior third baseman Rebecca McIntire's throw hit the runner and rolled into the first base dugout, allowing Schutzler to score from second. Brill got out of the jam by forcing two straight groundouts to herself and striking out the final batter of the inning to strand two runners.
Sophomore second baseman Lauren Rowe led off the top of the second frame with a double to left-center field, but was stranded there after three straight outs to follow.
After a three-up, three-down inning for Brill, McCommon led off the third with a screaming line drive that ricocheted off Abbott for a base hit, but again the Rebels were unable to move her along.
The Lady Vols made it a 2-0 game in the bottom of the third after Schutzler reached on a bunt single and was brought around to third and scored on a groundout by Kristi Durant.
A fourth-inning solo home run by Tennessee's Katherine Card made it a three-run deficit for the Rebels at 3-0.
The top of the sixth inning got off to a good start for the Rebels, as McCommon got her second single of the contest and moved to third after a pair of groundouts. McCommon scored when freshman shortstop Lisa Conchos hit a line drive off the first baseman's glove for an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Ole Miss travels to Itta Bena, Miss., on Wednesday for a non-conference game against in-state foe Mississippi Valley State, whom the Rebels defeated 5-4 in a contest on March 29. The team returns to league action with a weekend series at South Carolina on April 22-23.
