Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee's All-America pitcher, Monica Abbott, fired her fifth no-hitter of the season as the No. 1 ranked and fifth-seeded Lady Vols rolled over No. 12 Hawai`i, 9-0 in five innings in the opening game of the NCAA Super Regionals. The two teams square off again tomorrow in the best-of-three series at 4:00 pm at Tyson Park, with a ticket to the 2007 College World Series awaiting the Super Regionals winner.

Abbott struck out 10 batters while walking only two. It was the first time Hawai`i was unable to get at least one hit all season and it was the first time since 2005 that the Rainbow Wahine lost a game in five innings.

Tennessee jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Lillian Hammond worked Smethurst for a walk and stole second on the first pitch. After a strike out, Tonya Callahan drove a solid hit to the right-centerfield gap for an RBI double to score Hammond easily from second.

In the bottom of the second the Lady Vols opened up a 5-0 lead as they scored four unearned runs with two outs. After a ground out to Justine Smethurst, Liane Horiuchi drew a walk to start things off. Horiuchi stole second and then a fielding error off a ground ball to third allowed Kenora Posey to reach safely and put runners at the corners. Posey then stole second, placing both runners in scoring position. Hawai`i third baseman, Clare Warwick then made a leaping grab off a chopper from slapper Lindsay Schutzler. Warwick held the runners in place and got the out at first. Hammond then hit a single to deep short to score Horiuchi from third, and putting runners at the corners again. Hammond stole second and then Tiffany Huff ripped a triple to leftfield that drove in both runners. A base hit to left drove in Huff from second to put UT up 5-0 after two innings of play.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Vols put the game away. Kenora Posey starte the inning with a bunt single to third. A walk to Schutzler put runners at first and second. Then Hammond hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, but Smethurst looked at getting the lead runners first, and then ran out of time to get the speedy Hammond at first, which left the bases loaded. Huff then laced a bases clearing triple past a diving Tanisha Milca to the rightfield corner. Pitcher Jessica Morton then entered the game in relief. Huff eventually scored on a wild pitch to push the score to 9-0 with one chance for UH left.

Pitcher Justine Smethurst (19-10) took the loss, giving up nine runs (five earned) on six hits in three-plus innings of work. She walked three and struck out three in the loss.

Hawai`i's powerful offense was kept at bay, hitting the ball in play only five times. Only one ball made it to the outfield on a fly ball to right.

Tomorrow's games start at 4:00 pm EST with the "if necessary" game immediately following.

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