Lady Flames to Compete in Spring Classic
3/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
After going 5-2 so far on their 2010 spring break trip, the Lady Flames will face No. 19 Tennessee, Tennessee Tech and Campbell in the Tennessee Spring Classic in Knoxville, Tenn. Friday's tournament opener against the Lady Vols has been moved up to 1 p.m. due to weather concerns in the area.
The Lady Flames, 8-4 on the season, are enjoying their best start since 2007. They went 4-1 to finish fourth out of 22 teams at last weekend's Buzz Classic in Woodstock, Ga., and dropped a close 10-7 decision to No. 10 Alabama on Tuesday. Liberty will enter the Tennessee Spring Classic coming off a 6-2 win over Tennessee Tech on Thursday afternoon.
Other teams participating in the Classic are former (and future) Big South member Campbell, and Tennessee Tech.
The Lady Flames are led by last week's Big South Player of the Week, Kelly Strickland, who is batting .429 with 15 hits, including four home runs, and 10 RBIs. Danielle Howard is batting .364 with 12 hits, including a team best five home runs, and 15 RBIs.
The Liberty pitching staff is paced by Tiffani Smith (4-2), who has tallied 42 strikeouts in 31.2 innings, giving up 22 hits. Smith picked up the win against Tennessee Tech on Thursday in relief of starter Katie Warrington (3-1).
After Friday's matchup against the Lady Vols, Liberty will play Tennessee Tech at 10 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a 3 p.m. matchup with Campbell. The tournament continues Sunday, when the Lady Flames face off against Tennessee Tech at 1:30 p.m., immediately followed with another game against No. 19 Tennessee at 3:30 p.m.
Scouting the Tennessee Spring Classic Field
No. 19 Tennessee
The Lady Vols, ranked No. 19 in the latest NFCA poll, are 15-5 this year, and have not dropped a home contest.
Tennessee is led by Raven Chavanne, who is batting .529 with 37 hits, including four doubles and a pair of triples and 12 RBIs, while Kat Dotson is batting .472 with 20 hits and 16 RBIs. Pitcher Ivy Renfroe is 8-1 on the year with a 2.29 ERA, with 63 strikeouts in 58 innings of work.
The Lady Flames are looking for their first win over the Lady Vols, after going 0-14 since the two teams first met in 2001.
The Liberty offense has struggled against the Lady Vols, who have consistently held a national ranking in past years. The most runs scored against Tennessee was two runs on April 8, 2008, when Liberty took an 8-2 loss.
This year's Tennessee team has posted wins over No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 15 Texas.
Tennessee will mark the third nationally-ranked program the Lady Flames have faced this season, as Liberty has also played No. 10 Alabama and No. 23 Kentucky.
Tennessee Tech
Prior to Thursday, the Lady Flames were 0-2-1 against Tennessee Tech, and the last contest, played February 22, 2008, ended in a 2-2 tie. That season-opener was part of the College of Charleston Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C.
However, the series changed Thursday afternoon, when the Lady Flames defeated the Golden Eagles, 6-2, in a single game in Cookeville, Tenn. With the win, Liberty kept Tennessee Tech winless at home this season. The Golden Eagles dropped to 8-10 on the year.
Liberty recorded five doubles in the contest, with Cassie Hendrix and Kelly Strickland hitting two each.
Whitney Cummings leads the Golden Eagles, batting .340 with four homes and 12 RBIs, which ranks second on the team. Pitcher Holly Thomas, who took the loss in the circle on Thursday, has posted a 1.90 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 59 innings of work.
Campbell
The Camels are 3-13-1 in 2010, and their last win came on March 10, when they split a doubleheader against visiting N.C. State. After winning the first game, 4-3, Campbell dropped the second, 3-0, to the Wolfpack.
This year's Campbell squad is led by Lauren Stephan, who is batting .340 with nine RBIs and three of the Camels' four home runs on the season. Pitcher Christina Melton is 2-4 with a 2.89 ERA, giving up 30 hits and recording 36 strikeouts in 43.2 innings of work.
The Lady Flames are 1-5 all-time against the former Big South member Campbell. The Liberty win came on April 13, 2000, when the Lady Flames took the 8-7 victory. The two teams last met on February 14, 2004, when the Camels claimed a 3-0 win.
The Lady Flames, 8-4 on the season, are enjoying their best start since 2007. They went 4-1 to finish fourth out of 22 teams at last weekend's Buzz Classic in Woodstock, Ga., and dropped a close 10-7 decision to No. 10 Alabama on Tuesday. Liberty will enter the Tennessee Spring Classic coming off a 6-2 win over Tennessee Tech on Thursday afternoon.
Other teams participating in the Classic are former (and future) Big South member Campbell, and Tennessee Tech.
The Lady Flames are led by last week's Big South Player of the Week, Kelly Strickland, who is batting .429 with 15 hits, including four home runs, and 10 RBIs. Danielle Howard is batting .364 with 12 hits, including a team best five home runs, and 15 RBIs.
The Liberty pitching staff is paced by Tiffani Smith (4-2), who has tallied 42 strikeouts in 31.2 innings, giving up 22 hits. Smith picked up the win against Tennessee Tech on Thursday in relief of starter Katie Warrington (3-1).
After Friday's matchup against the Lady Vols, Liberty will play Tennessee Tech at 10 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a 3 p.m. matchup with Campbell. The tournament continues Sunday, when the Lady Flames face off against Tennessee Tech at 1:30 p.m., immediately followed with another game against No. 19 Tennessee at 3:30 p.m.
Scouting the Tennessee Spring Classic Field
No. 19 Tennessee
The Lady Vols, ranked No. 19 in the latest NFCA poll, are 15-5 this year, and have not dropped a home contest.
Tennessee is led by Raven Chavanne, who is batting .529 with 37 hits, including four doubles and a pair of triples and 12 RBIs, while Kat Dotson is batting .472 with 20 hits and 16 RBIs. Pitcher Ivy Renfroe is 8-1 on the year with a 2.29 ERA, with 63 strikeouts in 58 innings of work.
The Lady Flames are looking for their first win over the Lady Vols, after going 0-14 since the two teams first met in 2001.
The Liberty offense has struggled against the Lady Vols, who have consistently held a national ranking in past years. The most runs scored against Tennessee was two runs on April 8, 2008, when Liberty took an 8-2 loss.
This year's Tennessee team has posted wins over No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 15 Texas.
Tennessee will mark the third nationally-ranked program the Lady Flames have faced this season, as Liberty has also played No. 10 Alabama and No. 23 Kentucky.
Tennessee Tech
Prior to Thursday, the Lady Flames were 0-2-1 against Tennessee Tech, and the last contest, played February 22, 2008, ended in a 2-2 tie. That season-opener was part of the College of Charleston Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C.
However, the series changed Thursday afternoon, when the Lady Flames defeated the Golden Eagles, 6-2, in a single game in Cookeville, Tenn. With the win, Liberty kept Tennessee Tech winless at home this season. The Golden Eagles dropped to 8-10 on the year.
Liberty recorded five doubles in the contest, with Cassie Hendrix and Kelly Strickland hitting two each.
Whitney Cummings leads the Golden Eagles, batting .340 with four homes and 12 RBIs, which ranks second on the team. Pitcher Holly Thomas, who took the loss in the circle on Thursday, has posted a 1.90 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 59 innings of work.
Campbell
The Camels are 3-13-1 in 2010, and their last win came on March 10, when they split a doubleheader against visiting N.C. State. After winning the first game, 4-3, Campbell dropped the second, 3-0, to the Wolfpack.
This year's Campbell squad is led by Lauren Stephan, who is batting .340 with nine RBIs and three of the Camels' four home runs on the season. Pitcher Christina Melton is 2-4 with a 2.89 ERA, giving up 30 hits and recording 36 strikeouts in 43.2 innings of work.
The Lady Flames are 1-5 all-time against the former Big South member Campbell. The Liberty win came on April 13, 2000, when the Lady Flames took the 8-7 victory. The two teams last met on February 14, 2004, when the Camels claimed a 3-0 win.
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