The SUU softball team dropped its first game of the season
Thursday falling to the University of Tennessee 18-3 in their first game
of the Red Desert Classic.
The win also gave the Volunteers their 800th win in program history.
“They have four of the top 50 players in the country,” head coach Kyle Magnusson said. “They made the world series last year and they returned seven of nine players (from that team). They showed why today and we have some kids that come out of junior college or are freshman and they saw today what its like to compete at this level.”
Making her first start at the Division 1 level Ariel Zimmerman gave the T-Birds a strong opening frame, striking out two of the first four Volunteers she faced, but that didn’t stop UT from putting the first run on the board thanks to All-Americans Madison Shipman and Raven Chavanne.
Chavanne led of the off the game with a walk, stole second and was driven home by Shipman with a two-out single to right.
The T-Birds had a shot to answer in the bottom half of the inning as right fielder Mikkel Griffin was hit by a pitch to give SUU its first base runner of the day but All-American pitcher Ivy Renfroe worked around the the hit-by-pitch to strike out the side.
The Volunteers added two more in the second as center fielder Melissa Brown sent a Zimmerman pitch deep over the right field wall for a two-run home run to extend the lead to 3-0.
The T-Birds again had another opportunity in the bottom half of the second inning as first baseman Madison Resely reach base after being hit by a pitch but yet again the T-Birds left the runner stranded at first base.
The Vols’ broke it wide open in the top of the third as the team scored six runs to turn a 3-0 cushion into a 9-0 cushion heading into the bottom half of the inning.
Renfroe kept the T-Birds off the scoreboard once again in the bottom half of the inning and watched her team push across three more runs in the top of the 4th to extended the lead to 12-0.
The Vols’ changed pitchers in the bottom half of the inning, turning the ball over to Cheyanne Tarango and the pitching change gave the T-Birds new life.
Kelsey Bryant lead off the inning with a single to left to give the T-Birds their first hit of the day. The next batter, Resely drew a walk to give SUU runners on first and second with no outs and third baseman Kadi Henderson coming to the plate.
Henderson wasted little time giving the T-Birds their first runs of the year as the junior sent a inside fastball over the left center wall to give the T-Birds a little life.
The momentum was short lived, however, as Tarango settled into a grove and sat the T-Birds down in short order after that.
UT fired back in the top of the fifth scoring six runs off the T-Birds third pitcher of the game Ashely Ostler to seal the 18-3 victory.
The T-Birds did not commit an error in a game, ending a streak of eight straight games with an error, while the Volunteers committed one.
“We didn’t play defense very well last year and we need to play better defense (this season),” Magnuson said. “With our pitchers being more of a ground-ball pitchers, we need to pick up the ball better and I think we are better at it, especially after only being outside for four practices.”
Shipman led the Vols’ as the Junior went 3-5 from the plate driving in 5 runs and adding two stolen bases.
Bryant led the T-Birds as the senior went 2-3 from the dish but Henderson added the fire-works with the home-run.
Zimmerman finished the game going 2 and a third, giving up 6 runs and striking out 5.
“I think we you are excited and pumped up I think you have a tendency to overthrow and thats what (Zimmerman) did,” Magnusson said. “It was a pretty good test of how good she is; (Tennessee’s) coach is a guy on the selection committee for the women’s national team and he said after the game that she was pretty good.”
The T-Birds will be back in action today for the second day of the Red Desert Classic to face-off against Arkansas and Utah Valley.
First pitch against the Wolverines is scheduled for 1:30 and first pitch against the Razorbacks is scheduled for 4.
The win also gave the Volunteers their 800th win in program history.
“They have four of the top 50 players in the country,” head coach Kyle Magnusson said. “They made the world series last year and they returned seven of nine players (from that team). They showed why today and we have some kids that come out of junior college or are freshman and they saw today what its like to compete at this level.”
Making her first start at the Division 1 level Ariel Zimmerman gave the T-Birds a strong opening frame, striking out two of the first four Volunteers she faced, but that didn’t stop UT from putting the first run on the board thanks to All-Americans Madison Shipman and Raven Chavanne.
Chavanne led of the off the game with a walk, stole second and was driven home by Shipman with a two-out single to right.
The T-Birds had a shot to answer in the bottom half of the inning as right fielder Mikkel Griffin was hit by a pitch to give SUU its first base runner of the day but All-American pitcher Ivy Renfroe worked around the the hit-by-pitch to strike out the side.
The Volunteers added two more in the second as center fielder Melissa Brown sent a Zimmerman pitch deep over the right field wall for a two-run home run to extend the lead to 3-0.
The T-Birds again had another opportunity in the bottom half of the second inning as first baseman Madison Resely reach base after being hit by a pitch but yet again the T-Birds left the runner stranded at first base.
The Vols’ broke it wide open in the top of the third as the team scored six runs to turn a 3-0 cushion into a 9-0 cushion heading into the bottom half of the inning.
Renfroe kept the T-Birds off the scoreboard once again in the bottom half of the inning and watched her team push across three more runs in the top of the 4th to extended the lead to 12-0.
The Vols’ changed pitchers in the bottom half of the inning, turning the ball over to Cheyanne Tarango and the pitching change gave the T-Birds new life.
Kelsey Bryant lead off the inning with a single to left to give the T-Birds their first hit of the day. The next batter, Resely drew a walk to give SUU runners on first and second with no outs and third baseman Kadi Henderson coming to the plate.
Henderson wasted little time giving the T-Birds their first runs of the year as the junior sent a inside fastball over the left center wall to give the T-Birds a little life.
The momentum was short lived, however, as Tarango settled into a grove and sat the T-Birds down in short order after that.
UT fired back in the top of the fifth scoring six runs off the T-Birds third pitcher of the game Ashely Ostler to seal the 18-3 victory.
The T-Birds did not commit an error in a game, ending a streak of eight straight games with an error, while the Volunteers committed one.
“We didn’t play defense very well last year and we need to play better defense (this season),” Magnuson said. “With our pitchers being more of a ground-ball pitchers, we need to pick up the ball better and I think we are better at it, especially after only being outside for four practices.”
Shipman led the Vols’ as the Junior went 3-5 from the plate driving in 5 runs and adding two stolen bases.
Bryant led the T-Birds as the senior went 2-3 from the dish but Henderson added the fire-works with the home-run.
Zimmerman finished the game going 2 and a third, giving up 6 runs and striking out 5.
“I think we you are excited and pumped up I think you have a tendency to overthrow and thats what (Zimmerman) did,” Magnusson said. “It was a pretty good test of how good she is; (Tennessee’s) coach is a guy on the selection committee for the women’s national team and he said after the game that she was pretty good.”
The T-Birds will be back in action today for the second day of the Red Desert Classic to face-off against Arkansas and Utah Valley.
First pitch against the Wolverines is scheduled for 1:30 and first pitch against the Razorbacks is scheduled for 4.
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