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James Madison University
#13 Tennessee
WALK-OFF SINGLE LIFTS #13 TENNESSEE PAST JMU
5/16/2009 6:00:00 AM | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 15, 2009 ? Lady Vols third baseman Jessica Spigner hit a walk-off RBI single to right field to give Tennessee a 4-3 win over the Dukes in the opening round of the Knoxville Region of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
The Dukes dropped to 35-15 on the season and will play Jacksonville State at 4 p.m. on Friday in the losers' bracket game of the regional. UT improves to 39-16-1 and will take on Nebraska in the winners' bracket game at 1:30.
Tennessee got the decisive blow in the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out. UT loaded the bases on a pair of singles by shortstop Ashley Andrews and center fielder Kelly Grieve before left fielder Lillian Hammond dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. JMU head coach Katie Flynn decided to intentionally walk UT catcher Tiffany Huff but Spigner capitalized on the opportunity lining a shot to the right field fence to give the Lady Vols the win.
Andrews and Grieve finished with two hits and a run each, while Huff, Spigner and left fielder Danielle Pieroni picked up an RBI each.
JMU ran into some bad luck in bottom of the first, allowing Tennessee to take a 1-0 lead. Grieve led off the game with a chopper down to senior third baseman Amber Kirk (Hamilton, Va./Loudoun County) who leapt up to make the play but came down awkwardly, injuring her right leg and allowing Grieve to reach on a single. Grieve stole second two pitches later and moved to third on a groundout by Hammond. Huff plated the Lady Vols leadoff hitter, dropping down a suicide squeeze bunt and giving UT the lead.
UT added a run to its lead in the second without the benefit of a hit, as second baseman Nicole Kajitani led off the inning with a walk. Kajitani moved to second on a groundout by right fielder Erinn Webb, before stealing third and scoring on a groundout by Pieroni.
