Tuesday, March 05, 2002

Johnson City, Tenn. (Mar. 5, 2002) -- East Tennessee State sophomore pitcher/shortstop Tiffany Vandergriff (Sale Creek, Tenn.) was named Southern Conference Softball Player of the Week for her performance in the University of Georgia Bulldog Invitational from Feb. 22-24. Vandergriff was on fire in ETSU's six games in the tournament, hitting .529 in the tournament with nine hits in 17 at bats, including two doubles and her first home run of the season. Vandergriff also knocked in three runs and stole four bases in four attempts while racking up a .824 slugging percentage and a .619 on base percentage. Her two best games of the weekend came against Southern Conference rival Appalachian State. In a 7-0 win over the Mountaineers on Feb. 23, Vandergriff went 3-4, with a home run, three runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base. In a tighter rematch on Feb. 24, the Bucs won 4-3 as Vandergriff went 3-4 again, with a run scored and a stolen base. Vandergriff scored the game-tying run for ETSU in the bottom of the seventh in the dramatic come-from-behind victory. The Bucs went 3-3 in the tournament, defeating the Mountaineers twice and Marshall once. Vandergriff leads the Bucs this season, batting .424 with two home runs, 10 RBI and seven stolen bases. East Tennessee State softball returns to action this weekend from the Western Kentucky Invitational from Bowling Green, Ky.