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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Lady Vols roll over Arizona in Game 1

By Mike Griffith
Special to The Advertiser

Tennessee's Alexia Clay is greeted by her teammates following her solo home run against Arizona.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AT A GLANCE

At Oklahoma City

Best of three; Hawai‘i times

Yesterday’s result

Tennessee 3, Arizona 0

Tennessee leads series 1-0

Today’s game

Tennessee vs. Arizona, 2 p.m., ESPN2

Tomorrow’s game

Tennessee vs. Arizona, 2 p.m., if nec.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Tennessee's Monica Abbott kept mowing them down at the Women's College World Series yesterday.

The No. 1-ranked Lady Vols (63-6) moved within a game of winning the national championship with a 3-0 victory over defending national champion Arizona (48-14-1) before a crowd of 5,231 at Hall of Fame Stadium.

Abbott (50-3) fanned eight and allowed four hits in the victory, and hasn't allowed a run through 28 innings at the WCWS.

Hawai'i was the last team to score off Abbott, the run coming 33 2/3 innings ago when Brandi Peiler blasted a solo homer in the second inning of the Rainbow Wahine's 7-1 loss in the third and decisive Super Regional game in Knoxville, Tenn.

Liane Horiuchi and Anita Manuma were both in the starting lineup for the Lady Vols yesterday, each drawing walks and striking out in their two plate appearances.

Horiuchi, the Lady Vols starting sophomore shortstop, has been flawless in the field, and coach Ralph Weekly said that has been key as UT ranks No. 1 in the nation in fielding percentage.

"Liane has been phenomenal; she's steady and knows where to be,'' said Weekly, who recruited Horiuchi out of Kamehameha Schools.

Horiuchi, who has reached base safely twice in eight WCWS at-bats while recording three putouts and two assists, said her experience in Oklahoma City has been key.

"I think just being here last year let me know what to expect,'' said Horiuchi, who has made just one error in 69 games this season. "There's not as many nerves.'' Freshman Anita Manuma, from Campbell High School, is growing more comfortable with each outing.

"This has been very exciting,'' said Manuma, who has started three of UT's four games at the WCWS, twice in right field and yesterday in left. "It was exciting to get two hits in the first game.''

Weekly indicated he might return SEC Player of the Year India Chiles to the starting lineup in place of Manuma today, but after UT batted 11 different played yesterday, there's a chance she'll pinch-hit.

"Even though I came out of the game tonight this still feels great,'' Manuma said. "I'm still pumped up.''

Alexia Clay and Shannon Doepking provided the punch for Tennessee yesterday, each blasting solo home runs off Taryne Mowatt (40-12).

Clay's shot came in the second inning, glancing off the glove of four-time Arizona All-American Caitlin Lowe as she reached over the fence, while Doepking left little doubt with her fourth-inning blast over the left-field fence.

Chiles, who suffered a torn ACL in her right knee May 19 and didn't play in the Super Regional against the Rainbow Wahine, continued her improbable comeback from the injury with a pinch-hit RBI-single in the top of the seventh to finish the scoring.

Chiles started the first three games at the WCWS for the Lady Vols and is 5 for 11 at the plate.